Jupiter Rising
by Pysche
Summary: COMPLETE Everything changes. After 3,000 years Yami can see that not even the stars are the same, so what can he count on to remain constant? He might just find the answer in a CEO determined to redefine his own life. SetoYami
1. Default Chapter

**A/N:** Finally I have a new story! I'm interested to see what you guys will think of it, since it's a little different than my usual writing style... Also I'm posting this as I go along instead of having the fic finished to start with, so updates will be a bit slower, but I'm aiming for once a week.

This fic is dedicated to Dragon for helping me with plot ideas, and to Rekall just because I like her and I want to.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 1

Yami slowly lowered his binoculars and set them beside him on the damp, musky ground. Polaris. The North Star. Even that had changed since his days in Egypt. He slowly lifted his hand and, squinting, pointed out Polaris once more. Then he stretched out a slim finger, glowing pale and grey in the moonlight, and traced a line up, up, and to the left until he found what he was looking for.

There.

A dull star, smaller and fainter even than that traitor Polaris. That was what should point north. That star. Yami traced another line with his finger, a serpentine design stretching out from the star of his youth, the North Star he had watched so long ago twinkling in Egyptian skies.

Draco. The Dragon.

His hand shaking now, Yami traced the outline of the constellation once more before picking up his binoculars and climbing from the damp moss. Why did he come here every night? What was the point in sneaking out to go look at the stars…and why didn't he tell anyone he was doing it?

Slowly Yami trudged along the grassy clearing, the ground sinking a little beneath his heavy footfalls until he reached the sidewalk. He couldn't explain his actions, not even to himself. Yugi wouldn't think he was strange for having an interest in the stars – though Jounouchi would probably strain a few brain cells trying to figure out why anyone would care about anything that resembled something educational. Still, Yami kept his nighttime excursions a secret, waiting until Yugi and his grandfather had fallen asleep before grabbing his binoculars and sneaking out here just to look at the sky.

No… he wasn't just looking at the sky. He was looking for _it_, the same constellation every night. Yami was looking for that picture that twined and twirled across the sky around the new North Star.

He was looking for his dragon.

* * *

"Yami. Yami wake up."

Yami groaned, running his palm heavily over his face as he cracked open one bleary eye. A pair of enormous violet eyes stared back at him. He blinked; then shut his eyes again and rolled over.

"Yami!"

"What is it, Yugi?" the crimson-eyed young man groaned, feeling fresh waves of exhaustion wash over him as he lay unmoving on his stomach. He had spent far too long looking at the sky last night, and it would be wonderful to just drift back to sleep right now…

"Get UP!" Yugi yelled crossly. "Today's the day I'm leaving for my field trip, and you said you'd help with the shop! Don't tell me you forgot; I reminded you a thousand times! There aren't any tournaments for two months so you don't have a good excuse for not helping, besides being lazy. Don't you want me to have fun? You're being deliberately unhelpful…"

"Alright, ALRIGHT!" Yami groaned sulkily, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes. "I didn't forget, Yugi, I'm just tired." Yami glanced warily at the ranting teen, but Yugi's annoyed frown immediately dropped and his violet eyes twinkled merrily when he saw that Yami was awake.

"That's alright, I'm sorry for yelling at you," he said cheerfully, the sudden shift in moods making Yami blink tiredly a few more times. "Now hurry up and get ready, Jiichan and I are leaving soon."

With that, Yugi trounced from the room, humming happily, while a bleary-eyed Yami sank wearily back amidst the covers. He lay there a minute or so longer until he finally convinced his heavy limbs to slide from the bed, since Yugi really needed his help today, though Yami couldn't help worrying a bit at his circumstances. Yugi-tachi were going on some sort of camping field trip for a few days and Jiichan had volunteered to chaperone, which left Yami in charge of the game shop until they returned the next Monday. When Yugi had asked him, Yami _really_ hadn't thought that was a good idea, but the hopeful expression in the young teen's wide violet eyes had squelched any protest.

He just hoped he could get through the weekend without mind crushing anyone.

Though, with everyone gone he'd have more time to look at the stars… As he hurried into the first decent-looking outfit he pulled from his closet, Yami's eyes drifted involuntarily to Yugi's computer, where he'd spent countless secret hours poring over maps and star charts, learning the new names of the bright points in the heavens, the new shapes that replaced the old familiar patterns that glittered over Egypt.

Yami quickly tore his glance away and rushed out the door, wondering for at least the hundredth time why he didn't tell anyone about his fascination for the stars; but as he trudged down the stairs and his fingers automatically traced a familiar winding design along the smooth wood of the banister, Yami knew. He knew; but he wasn't ready to admit it to anyone just yet.

Not even himself.

* * *

"Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack!"

A rush of light filled the room and the young, dark-haired duelist covered his eyes with his forearm as his monster's hologram shattered and his life points skidded to zero with the dragon's attack. Blinking as the light gradually faded away, the teen's slate-gray eyes slid to the glaring zero on the duel disk he proudly sported on his arm. "Aw, man!" he grumbled, scowling deeply.

"You lose, Mokuba." Mokuba's nose crinkled in annoyance as he continued to sulk and Seto Kaiba spared a small smile for his brother. "You shouldn't act so surprised." Truthfully, though Seto had an almost spotless dueling record, he really wouldn't have minded if his little brother actually beat him once in a while. He – with the exception of one certain short, crimson-eyed duelist, of course – was the only person Seto could tolerate losing to.

But then, he loved Mokuba. As for Yami…

"Aw, can't you just let me win at least once, Seto?" Mokuba whined.

Seto rolled his eyes. "You know you'd lecture me forever if I did that. You want to beat me on your own – and I'd never just throw a game, anyway. It's pointless; your victory wouldn't mean anything…"

"Yeah, yeah," Mokuba interrupted snidely. But he smiled. "One of these days, though, I'll beat you, and then Yami will have to duel me instead if he wants to keep his title!"

Mokuba strode from the room, gesticulating wildly at nothing as if he were fighting an imaginary battle with the air as Seto followed silently after, trying to ignore the strange twist in his chest at the mention of his rival's name. Mokuba dropped it so casually, as if the young man – or ancient spirit, as he claimed, though Seto still scoffed at that – was a good friend; mentioned Yami's name like he was a part of their daily lives.

Well, for a while he had been, though the "friend" part was something Seto avoided like poison. So why did the thought of him still make Seto feel like he'd taken a step in the dark and hit empty air? Surely he wasn't _that_ obsessed with beating Yami anymore…

Seto had moved on, or thought he had at least, from that unending desire to defeat his rival in a duel. He didn't really _need_ to, not anymore, since he had his company firmly established and Mokuba wasn't being threatened by any maniacs – not recently, anyway. Kaiba Land was up and running and Seto had moved on to other projects, though he always spared time to duel with his brother. Still, though the game would always be important to him, it had gradually become less and less of a driving force in his life.

He often wondered what would take its place.

"Alright, Mokuba, I know you have homework to do. Your tutor's coming in an hour; I really shouldn't have let you come with me this morning," Seto sighed as he followed his brother from the dueling arena and into the bright fluorescent lights of KaibaCorp's hallways. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Mokuba scowled but followed his brother wordlessly, trying to imitate the casual stride of the brunet as he stalked through the halls, his white trenchcoat sweeping out behind him at the slightest gust of air. Seto glanced at the twelve-year-old through the corner of his eye and slowed his gait the tiniest bit, hints of a smirk playing about his lips as Mokuba's shorter strides caught up to his own. "Seto? We still have an hour until my tutor gets there…" Mokuba ventured as they reached the parking lot and climbed into Seto's jet-black convertible.

"And?"

"Can we please stop by Yugi's game shop because I know you can get me whatever I want but I still want to see what they have and it's fun to shop sometimes, plus Yugi-tachi are probably at school right now so you won't have to see them anyway and I'll only shop for a minute, please?"

Seto blinked. "Ah… sure…"

Mokuba cheered. "Thanks! It's been so long since I actually shopped for cards! Hey, I wonder if they have any Capsule Monster stuff. Do you think they do? But I should really focus on Duel Monsters if I ever want to beat you…"

Seto allowed his brother to ramble on as he started the car and pulled out onto the highway, the boy's chatter vaguely echoing in his ears, though a part of the unresponsive CEO still noticed and registered every word even as he appeared not to notice, his cobalt eyes glued on the busy road.

"Fasten your seatbelt, Mokuba," he said.

* * *

"Now Yami, we'll be gone three days, remember. We'll be back early Monday morning. There's food enough in the fridge to last 'til then, and money in the jar in the cabinet if an emergency comes up. Don't leave the cash register unattended unless it's locked; don't let anyone in the shop after it's closed; don't let the shelves get too low, there are boxes in the back room clearly labeled so you can tell which things to restock…"

"Come ON, Jiichan, we're going to be late! Yami knows this stuff already!"

Yami had to fight a grin at the high-pitched whine in his aibou's voice as Yugi tugged impatiently at his grandfather's sleeve. The shorter boy had been excited about this trip for weeks – which Yami suspected had more than a little to do with the idea of being out in the woods with Anzu, in an area known for its romantic scenery – and now he was practically jumping out of his skin at the slightest delay. Though Jiichan's repeated recitations of the rules _were_ a bit annoying.

"I'll be fine. Have fun, you two," Yami assured Jiichan with a smile, and with one last worried glance at his store the old man allowed his grandson to drag him out the door.

Yami watched them go, waiting silently until their departing forms disappeared completely from sight before breathing a loud sigh of relief. He raked his fingers through his spiky hair and let out a low chuckle as he plodded to the store register and sank bonelessly onto Jiichan's stool, his arms stretching out atop the counter and his face following shortly after. He was still so tired… though it definitely wouldn't do to fall asleep. No, he really needed to stay awake…

His head still resting atop his arm, Yami's eyelids slowly drifted shut while his fingers traced achingly familiar patterns across the worn countertop. There was Virgo, and that curved dent was the mane of Leo… up to Ursa Major… and then he was back to the Dragon…

What would he do while Yugi-tachi were gone, really? He doubted the game shop would be very busy, since most of its clients were away on that school camping trip, and Yami couldn't work the entire weekend, anyway. He couldn't spend the whole time stargazing either, and since he really didn't know anyone outside of Yugi-tachi, it would likely become a rather dull weekend.

Yami yawned widely, the idea of a nap becoming more appealing by the second, when the bell above the front door chimed loudly, announcing the entrance of a customer. The crimson-eyed male sat up quickly – oblivious to the red marks his sleeve had left etched across his left cheek – and nodded politely in greeting; until he saw exactly who the customers were and blinked several times in obvious surprise. Then his blood-colored eyes narrowed distastefully. Of course; his first customers _had_ to be those two.

"You'd better not steal anything," Yami warned.

Bakura just smirked at him.

The white-haired thief whispered something to his blonde companion and the two of them snickered viciously before beginning their casual stroll through the game shop aisles. Yami eyed them suspiciously, but since they technically hadn't done anything wrong he couldn't really throw them out – knowing Bakura and Malik they'd tell Jiichan just to cause trouble for Yami. So he merely sat rigid atop his stool and watched the two troublemakers pick up item after item and pretend to study it carefully, sadistic grins painted across their faces all the while.

Eventually Yami let out a low sigh and let his posture relax the tiniest bit. He got the feeling that the two weren't really planning to steal anything, after all, but simply enjoying tormenting him by acting suspicious. It seemed like the sort of thing they would do; lately, since the tomb keeper had come back from Egypt, Malik and Bakura had struck up a strange sort of friendship, their major goal seemingly to simply cause as much trouble as possible for Yami and his friends. Apparently Malik hadn't reformed quite as much as he'd claimed.

Honestly, though, the pair's antics didn't bother Yami all that much. As long as Yugi-tachi were safe, Malik and Bakura could plot as much as they wanted – though of course Yami kept a close eye on them anyway. Yami shifted into a more comfortable position on his stool, glancing at the two fair-haired troublemakers, who had progressed to an enormous display of cards and were removing them all, one by one, before carefully placing them back in the pile in the wrong positions.

Yami sighed once more. It looked like it was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

Seto pulled into the parking lot of the Kame Game Shop amid his brother's promises that they would only be there a few minutes and he wouldn't buy much, etc. As he followed the dark-haired boy into the game store, however, a vague sense of uneasiness, a strange, unnamable feeling, settled over Seto – and he didn't think it had anything to do with Mokuba's purchases. But Seto brushed it off, dismissing the feeling as superstitious nonsense, and stepped through the swinging glass door into the shop.

Mokuba ran in eagerly, rushing toward the first brightly-colored display to catch his eye, but the tall CEO followed a little more slowly, observing the store, and paused in amused surprise at the sight that met his gaze. Two fair-haired teens, one thin and pale and the other Egyptian tan, stood in the center of the store, each holding a card in his hand and studying it carefully. Then the two looked at each other, exchanged cards and stared at those for a moment before replacing them in the display and randomly picking up another card.

Yami watched them from behind the counter, his face slightly pink as he glared at them in thinly veiled frustration.

Seto snorted.

He stood there a moment, deliberating whether or not he wanted to get involved, until Bakura and Malik switched cards again and Yami groaned audibly. Making up his mind, Seto stepped over to the card display and glowered down at the two. "Are you going to buy anything or just keep standing here taking up space?" he drawled disdainfully. They paused, glancing up briefly at Seto before replacing their final cards and strolling toward the door, and Seto heard Yami make a tiny sound of relief.

But then, as Malik opened the door, Bakura grabbed a handful of mangas from the window display and the two thieves took off running at full speed.

"HEY!" Yami shouted, leaping to his feet and sending the metal stool clattering to the floor behind him. He raced toward the door, knocking into Seto on the way and sending the brunet a few steps backward, but by the time Yami burst through the wildly swinging glass door and ran out on the sidewalk Bakura and Malik had disappeared from sight.

Seto watched as the wild-haired teen ran a palm tiredly over his face and muttered something foul under his breath before plodding stiff-legged back into the store and approaching Kaiba once again. Yami stopped a short distance from the brunet and gazed up at him from under thick bangs strewn haphazardly across his angrily flushed face. "Sorry about that Kaiba; may I help you with anything?" He gave Seto a polite, if slightly strained, smile.

"No; Mokuba will find what he wants," Seto answered shortly. Yami nodded and moved past the CEO to begin the painstaking task of rearranging all the merchandise Bakura and Malik had scattered, but as Seto observed the way Yami's shoulders sagged slightly and noticed the decidedly frustrated pout on the other's lips, something moved him to offer his assistance. Seto spoke the words before he'd really even thought about them. "I'll pay for whatever they stole."

Yami whipped his head up in surprise, card packages in both hands. "What? Why?"

Seto shrugged. "I take responsibility for what I do. I provoked them."

"You did not," Yami replied, narrowing his eyes at the brunet. "They would have stolen something anyway, whether you spoke to them or not. And you were just trying to help, so thank you."

"Don't make assumptions about things you know nothing about, Yami."

The spiky-haired teen merely rolled his eyes and went back to rearranging the display.

Seto watched him for a moment, but Yami didn't acknowledge him again, and before long Seto's thoughts turned from the two thieves and he began noticing instead the slim figure of the other, and the way his wild hair swayed and tendrils of the blonde bangs stuck to his slightly sweaty face as he moved, the muscles in his back and his slender legs flexing as Yami stretched to place something on the very top of the display. The brunet's breath hitched slightly and he opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn't sure exactly what, when he felt a tug at his jacket sleeve.

"Seto, I'm done shopping," Mokuba chirped, grinning, when he saw he had his brother's attention. Surprisingly, Mokuba had done as he had promised and only held a few small items tucked under one arm. Seto raised an eyebrow.

"That's all you want? Alright, take it to the counter then." Mokuba nodded and ran off and Seto turned back to Yami, but the other had disappeared, already headed back to the register to check out Mokuba's purchases, so Seto shrugged and followed his brother to where the crimson-eyed teen was carefully stuffing Mokuba's game supplies into a plastic bag.

As soon as Yami handed the bag to Mokuba, the boy grinned excitedly and raced out the door, eager to open everything and examine it. "I'll be in the car, Seto!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared.

Seto shook his head slightly at his brother's antics before he approached the counter. Yami stared up at him with a serious expression in his exotic eyes, though the corners of his lips tilted up slightly, almost stretching into a full smile as Seto met his gaze and didn't look away, the two frozen in an indefinable moment, merely watching each other, not even really thinking or wondering at their actions. Finally, with a shake of his head Seto tore his eyes away from Yami and dropped a few large bills on the counter, more than enough to pay for Mokuba's toys and whatever Bakura and Malik had stolen.

He turned away before Yami could react but the other's voice stopped him before he reached the door. "Wait Kaiba! You forgot your change!"

Seto snorted and kept walking. "Don't make assumptions about things you know nothing about."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Another chapter already... Guess I can write pretty fast after all, though I wouldn't expect all the chapters this fast. A warning - Seto (and maybe Yami as well, I'm not sure) might seem a little OOC in this chapter, but I promise I have my reasons and I try to make the way the characters act believable. So please don't flame me for them being out of character. Thanks for all the great reviews; I'm so happy people like this story, and I hope I don't disappoint. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 2

Letting out a relieved sigh, Yami flipped the sign on the game shop door to "Closed." They had done more business that day than he'd thought, though still not nearly as much as they would normally have on a Friday, since all the normal clients were gone on that camping trip, of course. Yami still wished Jiichan had simply closed the shop instead of leaving him there to watch it; since though he'd never admit it to Jiichan or Yugi, Yami hated running the store and all the tiny details that went with it, from the annoying, rude customers to the hours of inventory and the mindless boredom of sitting behind the counter between rushes.

Yami sighed. He needed a break; needed to think about something besides the shop for a while. Maybe he just needed to get out. Grabbing his keys, Yami switched off the lights and stepped out onto the sidewalk, sure to lock the door behind him before he wandered off down the street toward the pink rays of the setting sun faintly visible above the thickly clustered buildings.

Though he originally had no real destination as he ambled slowly along the sidewalk, glancing casually into various store windows, Yami decided to stop by the library while he was out, since he'd never gotten a chance to see what sorts of books they had on the stars. He was too embarrassed to check anything out while Yugi was home and could find it, and he'd never had enough free time to just sit in the library and read there. Yugi-tachi tended to demand a lot of his time.

Yami smiled and quickened his pace. Maybe he would find something interesting today.

* * *

Seto signed the last page of his towering stacks of paperwork with a flourish. He was done for the weekend. Regardless of what people tended to say about him being a workaholic, Seto knew how much work his body could handle, and he wasn't about to kill himself. Not to say he was ever lax; running a company took a lot of time and effort; but Seto was far from stupid and he wasn't going to push himself past what he knew was the best he could do. Besides, he had to put aside time for Mokuba whenever he could.

This weekend was a prime example. The CEO didn't have any particular plans, but he had been sure to get everything done with KaibaCorp today that he possibly could, so there wouldn't be anything he needed to work on over the weekend and he could spend Saturday and Sunday simply enjoying some time at home with his little brother.

Seto was a man who had his priorities in order.

At least, he hoped he did.

He was trying, that much was certain; but Seto couldn't forget that mere months ago he had been obsessed with Duel Monsters, with taking down his opponents – which generally meant Yami – at all costs, and he hadn't bothered to stop working when his body told him it was tired or hungry. He pushed himself anyway, unable to even imagine what would happen if he let himself be less than the best at anything, be it flying a plane, raising a child, or playing the game that represented his whole life. Mokuba had been there of course; Seto would never forget his little brother – but the dark-haired youth had ended up tagging along after Seto's obsessions, expressing his devotion all the way and being the rock for his older brother that Seto should have been for Mokuba.

Yami had been the one to change all that. Not all with his speeches, really, but more just the way he lived his life, as if _everything_ was important – as if Seto was important. As if Seto was important whether he lost or not. And Yami had this way of _looking_ at him, those crimson eyes burning so fiercely…

It had affected Seto, sometimes more than he would like to admit.

Seto mulled over this as he locked up everything in his office and casually made his way back down to his car. It had been awhile, months perhaps, since Seto had seen the other, but that morning in the game shop the brunet could tell that nothing had changed. Still, by the merest shrug of his shoulders or the slightest hint of emotion on his face, Yami made Seto ache to prove something to him, though Yami of course was unaware of this and would only tell Seto that he had nothing to prove even if he were.

Allowing himself a grudging sigh, Seto pulled out of the parking lot and onto the darkening streets. He was tired of thinking about this. Would Yami always have this kind of effect on him, forcing Seto to reevaluate his every decision each time he happened to see the wild-haired teen? True, the CEO liked himself better now than he had as the wildly-obsessive control freak he had been before he and Yami had met, but still…

Seto hated feeling inadequate. And Yami certainly had a way of making him feel exactly that.

A scowl made its way across Seto's lips as he focused on his driving and tried to force thoughts of Yami from his mind. He was only frustrating himself; he would think about his weekend with Mokuba and the well-earned relaxation on his way, not his exasperating rival and his endless speeches, or the fascinating way Yami's hair swept over his eyes as moved, the slender form that was…

Currently walking down the sidewalk beside him.

Seto slammed on his brakes just in time to see Yami climb a few stone steps and disappear into the door of a slightly eroded red-brick building. The public library. "What is he doing?" the brunet murmured to himself. The thought that Yami was most likely doing what the general public usually did in a library – reading – briefly crossed Seto's mind, but still something kept Seto parked in that spot in the middle of the road, staring after Yami's departed form until the car behind him honked, snapping Seto out of his reverie.

A sarcastic smile quirked Seto's lips, and he pulled into the library parking lot.

* * *

"_Constellations: Stories in the Sky_. Hmm, looks good to me," Yami muttered to himself. He pulled the book off the shelf and made his way over to one of the tables in a quiet corner of the library, settling into the squashy cushion of one of the library's well-worn chairs. With a pensive smile on his face, the wild-haired teen opened the book and began to read, quickly finding himself immersed in the wild tales of those patterns in the sky, some vaguely similar but most vastly different from the gods and goddesses that hovered in the dark sky over Egypt.

Yami read on for several minutes, his crimson eyes sweeping rapidly over the pages while his slim fingers unconsciously traced invisible lines across the tabletop, echoing the pictures displayed on the worn pages, until suddenly he stopped. A sound, so tiny and soft that he could almost have sworn he imagined it, had torn him from his concentration, so Yami blinked slowly and glanced around to see what had caused it. It was nothing, really, most likely just someone coughing or clearing their throat, but it had drawn Yami's attention because it sounded familiar. But when Yami looked around he couldn't find whoever had made the sound, so he shrugged and turned back to his book, but just as he did, from the corner of his eye he noticed the tail of a long white coat disappearing behind the bookshelves to his right.

"Kaiba?" Yami gasped wonderingly. What was he doing in a library? He probably had one of his own in one of the hundreds of unused rooms in the Kaiba Mansion – if he ever took the time away from his computer to read anything anyway. Yami leaned forward in his seat, craning his neck to catch another glimpse of the CEO, until finally, stretched out across the table and standing on his tiptoes, he saw the back of the familiar chestnut head tilting thoughtfully as Seto retrieved a book from one of the upper shelves.

Yami leaned out even further, bracing his palms on the table and stretching until –

THUNK.

The sound of Yami's feet slipping out from under him and his chair skidding back several feet before it tipped over backwards and clattered to the floor echoed through the silent library, and Seto's head snapped up at the sound, the brunet dropping his book in surprise as Yami clutched at the table, nearly causing the heavy wood to topple backwards onto himself while he clambered for his footing. Yami's feet skidded a few more seconds against the worn carpet before he righted himself and loosened his desperate grip on the wobbling table.

He met the brunet's quirked eyebrow with a dignified gaze of his own. "Hello Kaiba."

"Yami." Seto nodded politely, though his lips still twisted in amusement.

"What are you doing here?"

Seto didn't bother to answer aloud, merely bent and retrieved his book from the floor, a flick of his wrist waving in Yami's direction.

"Oh… What are you reading?"

The brunet glanced at the book's cover and his cobalt eyes widened perceptibly. His gaze flicked to the bookshelf, then back to the book, then finally back at Yami, who by that time had approached Seto and stood directly in front of him, watching him curiously.

"Kaiba?"

"Mind your own business," Seto snapped, attempting to hide the book behind his back, but Yami grinned and reached around him, tugging it out of his hands.

"_Controlling the Urges: Estrogen and Your Body_." Yami pressed his lips together, but laughter spilled out anyway in a demented-sounding snort. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Seto's eyes darkened and he whirled around, the edges of his long coat knocking against Yami's legs as the other stood rooted to the spot, doubled over with helpless sniggers. "I might have just picked up the wrong book, you know," Seto growled. He stalked rapidly away, but Yami followed him, stopping Seto with a hand on his elbow when they reached the table where the spiky-haired teen had been reading.

"Wait… Kaiba, wait," Yami gasped, his laughter finally subsiding. "What were you really doing here? Were you following me?"

Seto stood there silently for a moment, his back to the other, before he leaned over the table and grabbed Yami's book from where it lay sprawled open, pages bent and wrinkled from Yami's graceless encounter with the table. "Well, what were _you_ doing? What were you reading about?" He flipped casually through the book before snapping it shut and reading the title.

"Give that back."

Yami muttered the words quietly, but his eyes flashed angrily at the other and he clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened. He didn't want _Kaiba_ of all people finding out about his obsession and inevitably teasing him about it. The CEO would be the worst; he would most likely see Yami's fascination with something like stars as impractical, a weakness he could exploit. After all, Kaiba had always been trying to get the better of Yami, so why should this occasion be any…

Seto handed him the book.

"You like astronomy?"

"Maybe…" Yami clutched the book against his chest, eyeing the other doubtfully.

"Have you ever had a chance to really look at the stars? It's hard to see them with all these lights."

Yami's eyes widened and he stared openly at the tall brunet as Seto casually brushed a few stray strands of hair from his eyes. What was going on? Why wasn't Kaiba antagonizing him? "Sometimes… I have to go out to a park or something though," Yami admitted warily.

Seto snorted and crossed his arms across his chest. "You go to a park in the middle of the night all by yourself? Do you have a death wish?"

"How do you know I go by myself?" Yami demanded, but shrugged when the other raised a knowing eyebrow. "I can take care of myself, anyway. You know that, Kaiba."

"Ah yes. The 'mind crushing' thing," Seto observed dryly, and Yami grinned.

"You know I only…"

"Well, do you want to come over to the Manor then?"

"I… Wait, _what_?" Yami stared at the other a moment, wondering for a brief second if the person in front of him was really Seto Kaiba. True, before this morning it had been awhile since he'd seen the other, but Yami didn't think his antagonistic rival had missed him enough to invite him over for a friendly chat. Even inviting him to the Kaiba Manor for a duel didn't exactly seem like Kaiba's style; the arrogant brunet would be more likely to close off a busy section of town in the middle of a work day for that sort of occasion.

"Well, are you coming?"

"Why?" Yami asked suspiciously.

"I live outside of town. It's darker there," Seto answered simply. "Besides, if you're going to die – or kill anyone – I'd rather it be where I can see it."

Yami smirked. "Well, if you put it that way…"

* * *

Seto shifted uncomfortably on the couch, his eyes flicking to the darkened window for at least the tenth time in as many minutes. Mokuba sat curled up beside him, focused on the crashes and explosions from the movie the two were watching and seemingly unaware of his brother's lack of attention. As promised, Seto had come home from work that evening ready to spend time with the dark-haired boy, all but for one unexpected distraction.

Yami had ridden quietly with Seto back to the Kaiba Manor from the library, a tiny, pleased smile stretching the full lips the entire time at the prospect of a free, un-hassled night of observing the sky. At least, that was the reason Seto had determined for that tiny little smile, since he had most definitely ignored the niggling part of his mind that wished that Seto was the reason for Yami's smile.

When they had arrived at the house, Seto had told Yami he could move around as he liked, since the CEO had planned to spend the evening with his brother and didn't really have time to waste entertaining the other. Yami had simply grinned and nodded at this, hurrying off to find a good spot on Seto's spacious lawn, but as the brunet watched Yami's slim figure disappear into the darkness, Seto had to fight the strange urge to call him back – or follow him.

He settled instead for choosing a spot on the couch that offered a good view of the wild-haired teen sitting on the lawn.

Seto shifted again on the couch. As the sky darkened Mokuba had turned on a lamp, and now its yellow glow cast a glare on the dark window, effectively blocking Seto's view of the lawn and causing the brunet to grow more and more antsy as the minutes passed. Was Yami still out there? What was he doing? Would he tell Seto if he decided to leave? Seto squirmed uncomfortably yet again, finally drawing Mokuba's eyes to him and eliciting a loud groan from the dark-haired preteen.

"Just go outside, Seto. I don't care," Mokuba muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Why would I want to go outside?" Seto asked defensively, and Mokuba groaned again.

"Come ON, I'm not stupid! You can check on Yami if you want."

Seto looked away, not meeting his brother's gaze, but unfortunately when he did this his eyes automatically drifted to the dark window and effectively proved Mokuba's point. The preteen snickered. "Mokuba…" Seto sighed. "I was just doing Yami a favor by letting him come here. I'm not going to break a promise to you just because he's here."

Mokuba shrugged. "You're with me all the time. It's not like you're going to scar me for life or anything if you have a friend over. Now go away; you're distracting me from the movie." With that, Mokuba turned back to the exploding cars on the television screen.

Shaking his head at his little brother and allowing himself a small smile, Seto climbed from the couch.

* * *

"See anything interesting?"

Seto carefully lowered himself onto the grass beside Yami, handing him one of the steaming cups of coffee he had carried from the house. Yami accepted with a smile, his dark eyes crinkling as he sniffed the beverage. "Mmm… Thank you," he murmured, sipping it slowly. "I was just observing. Sky's not that different from last night, you know. But still nice. I thought you were doing something with Mokuba?"

Ignoring the question, Seto raised an eyebrow at the slim figure beside him innocently sipping his coffee. "You did this last night, too? Don't you get bored?"

"Not really," Yami replied quietly, his eyes drifting north toward what Seto vaguely distinguished as the Big Dipper. "I do this a lot of nights."

Seto took a sip of his coffee, cautiously glancing at the other over the rim of his mug. With Yami's dark hair and his usual all-black, sleeveless outfit he blended in with the night, all except for the slender, pale arms resting casually in his lap and the defined profile, glowing faintly in the moonlight and raised to look at the stars. The coffee cup rested beside him on the grass. "Really? I suppose you know a lot about stars then," Seto commented vaguely when he realized he hadn't spoken in a few minutes.

Yami nodded, lifting a hand to point at the sky. "See that? That's the North Star – or it is now, anyway. And there's Ursa Major – the Big Dipper. In Egypt we called them the Imperishable Ones… gods that were in the sky all night long. They never sink below the horizon." He lowered his hand, sighing softly, and shot a brief glance at the brunet.

Seto snorted rudely.

"There you go with that Egypt garbage again. Do you really believe that?"

"Kaiba…" Yami grumbled warningly.

Seto set his coffee cup beside him on the grass and turned to the other, folding his arms across his chest. "No, let me tell you something, Yami. I know about astronomy, too, but not this Egyptian god star-gazing crap; I mean _real_ astronomy." He raised a hand to cut off Yami's angry protest and lifted his own hand toward the sky, pointing out a small, slow-moving point of light just visible above the trees. "See that? That's a satellite. One of at least four that KaibaCorp has in geosynchronous orbit with the Earth that do everything from power my communications system to give Mokuba his own personal radio station."

Seto turned back to the wild-haired teen beside him, who was staring at the CEO with a slightly bewildered expression. "That's…"

"Impressive? I know. I've also invested in space stations and probes, lots of things like that. You never know what might come in handy for a game system." Seto let out a noisy breath and rested his palms on the grass, leaning back. "If you want I can take you inside and show you some pictures."

Yami smiled. "I think I'd like that."

* * *

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Yami groaned, slinging an arm out of bed and randomly hitting everything in his reach until he finally slapped his alarm clock and shut off the obnoxious noise. He yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he slid out of bed and padded toward the bathroom. He'd done it again, stayed up until the wee hours of the morning looking at the stars, and it was even worse this morning because he'd needed to get up early and do inventory before the game shop opened. If Yami kept this up he would eventually pass out from exhaustion.

Splashing cold water on his face helped the crimson-eyed teen wake up a bit, and Yami hurried through his morning routine so he could go downstairs and run through the inventory list before time to open the shop. He was running late, of course, and it would be harder than usual because Malik and Bakura had messed up his records by stealing all those mangas. Seto had made up for it, but Yami still didn't know how much they'd stolen – and he rather suspected that the CEO had overpaid him as well.

Finally Yami made it downstairs, muttering to himself as he pulled out his list and began to make his way through the store, his mind lingering on Kaiba. He had been so… well, _nice_ to Yami the day before – first paying for the stolen mangas, then inviting him out to his house… And sitting out with the tall brunet under the stars had been thrilling in a way Yami couldn't fully explain – or maybe didn't want to explain. Yet Yami would admit it had been wonderful to finally talk to someone about the fascination with the sky that had been haunting him for a long time now.

And, even more incredible, Kaiba shared that fascination. In his own way at least; though all of his technological explanations had left Yami fairly baffled. But still… it had been nice. Yesterday had been…

Yami stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in horror. He had reached the display case by the front window, the one near the stack of mangas Malik and Bakura had taken the day before. Here, in a securely locked, Plexiglas case, Sugoroku kept his rarest, most valued card, though he was generous enough to display it for the public to see. This was where he kept the ripped Blue Eyes White Dragon.

But now it was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 3

"Seto, I'm gonna go watch cartoons for awhile, okay?" The raven-haired preteen quickly swallowed the last bite of his cereal and raised the bowl to his mouth, slurping the excess milk from the bottom before he rose from the table and dumped his dishes in the sink.

"That's fine, Mokuba. I'll be along in a few minutes," Seto answered. He took a long sip of his coffee, raking a hand tiredly through his thick chestnut locks as he watched his energetic brother race from the room. How could anyone wake up at six in the morning on a weekend and not be tired or cranky? True, Seto usually woke up even earlier than this to work, but he'd never been anything close to a morning person. It generally took a little time and a lot of caffeine for him to properly adjust to the world.

But today…

Seto was tired, that much was certainly true. He and Yami had stayed up in his office until nearly 3:00 A.M., going through pictures Seto had saved on his laptop of his satellites and the different probes and space missions Seto had invested in. It had taken several hours, since the CEO had been involved in quite a few – he spent a lot of time and money on his satellites, especially, since he needed to keep his communications systems top-of-the-line – and Yami had listened interestedly to all of Seto's explanations, though the brunet highly doubted he understood them.

That was why, despite the significant lack of sleep, Seto wasn't cranky. Not in the slightest. On the contrary, he had woken feeling better than he had in months, and even stubborn Seto had to admit it was because of his wild-haired rival's presence the night before. Something about spending time with Yami was… well, _nice_. Agreeable. Seto wasn't sure why – especially since they had never really gotten along before – but he liked it. He had liked that Yami was there.

And he wanted more.

Seto took another slow sip of his coffee, letting the rich smell as well as the caffeine sink into his veins and give his tired body a much needed energy boost as he contemplated this. He liked Yami being there, so he would just have to bring Yami back. Simple as that. It shouldn't be too hard to think of a reason; if nothing else the brunet could just offer to let him come out to the Kaiba Manor to observe the stars again that evening; but that seemed like too long a wait, and Seto had never been known for his patience. He wanted to see Yami _now._

But, he'd promised Mokuba he would spend the weekend with him, and Seto didn't want to go back on his word; besides, he had been looking forward to relaxing with his brother away from work for a few days. He couldn't just go chasing after Yami and ignore Mokuba. But then, Mokuba himself had said he didn't mind Seto having someone over… So maybe he could spend time with them both? He could think of some reason to get the crimson-eyed teen to come back to the Manor, preferably this morning, and then Seto would have his relaxing weekend at home as well as the surprisingly pleasant presence of his rival.

Seto briefly wondered why he was going to that much effort over someone who wasn't his brother. But then he decided it was best not to think too much about such things, and picked up the phone.

* * *

Gone.

The Blue Eyes was gone.

Jiichan's most precious card, simply vanished.

Yami took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes, counting to ten. Hopefully when he opened them the card would have reappeared and this would all have been some sick daydream brought on by a considerable lack of sleep. But when Yami cautiously cracked open one crimson eye he saw that nothing had changed. The case was still intact, Plexiglas perfect and pristine, and none of the locks had been damaged in the slightest. It looked as if the card had simply vanished into thin air, if it had ever been there at all.

The spiky-haired teen rubbed his palms anxiously over his face, letting his fingers slide back to rake through thick blonde bangs. There was only one person Yami knew – well, two – that could steal something with such precision, almost like magic, and they had been in the store the day before. He thought he'd kept an eye on them, though; Yami's gaze hadn't left them the entire time. When would they have had the chance to take it? When they grabbed a handful of manga and ran? This… this was too perfect. It would have taken far too long to open the display case with such care that it would seem to have never even been disturbed.

"But who else could it have been?" Yami muttered to himself. "Bakura's had a _long_ time to practice when it comes to stealing, and Malik is just insane. No idea what he would try…"

Yami paced back and forth along the game shop floor, knocking into a few displays and sending cards fluttering to the floor, but he never even noticed them as he stared wide-eyed at nothing. "It _has_ to be them! Who else is there? But how? I don't understand… But that doesn't matter; I have to get it back! I promised Jiichan to take care of things while he was gone… But how do I find them? I don't even know that, and it's not like I have a car, even if I did decide to shut down the shop for the day and go chasing after those psychos…"

Just then the phone rang and Yami started, knocking a few more mangas to the ground as he jumped at the shrill clatter. "I don't have time for this," he snapped, but yanked the phone from the receiver anyway. "Hello," he barked.

"That's not a very polite way to answer the phone. Shouldn't you at least say, 'How may I help you'?"

"Kaiba," Yami sighed, immediately recognizing the rumbling voice – though the snide remarks were a clue as well. "What do you want?"

"Still being unfriendly, I see. I suppose I shouldn't invite you back to my house then; you'll have to look at the stars in some deathtrap park. I feel sorry for all the muggers."

Yami scowled. He really didn't feel like dealing with Kaiba's attitude; he needed to figure out what to do about the missing Blue Eyes. "That's fine with me; I never asked you to invite me to your house anyway," he snapped.

The line went silent.

"I see," Kaiba said slowly.

Yami immediately felt guilty. "No… Seto, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that, it's just…" He bit his lip, wondering if he should tell Kaiba about the missing card.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Kaiba asked suspiciously. "Is someone there?"

Yami blinked. "Huh? Where would you get that idea?" He shook his head, continuing, "Jiichan's Blue Eyes; it's gone… I don't know what happened to it; Bakura must have stolen it but I don't know how…" His voice cracked a little bit, barely suppressed panic making Yami's throat clench tightly.

Silence from the other end of the phone. Then, "Stay there. I'll be there in a few minutes." With that Seto hung up, not giving Yami a chance to reply before the line went dead in his hands. The crimson-eyed teen stared stupidly at the phone for a minute, wondering what Kaiba was planning, before he shrugged it off and replaced the telephone in the receiver, resuming his frantic pacing back and forth across the game shop floor.

* * *

When Seto knocked on the door of the Kame Game Shop a few minutes later, he was greeted by the dark, frantic eyes of his rival as Yami yanked open the door. "Kaiba, you're here," Yami greeted, sounding relieved.

Seto merely nodded in reply, his sapphire eyes sweeping around the room to see items strewn messily along the floor and the door to the supply room in the back hanging half-open. "Looks like someone really did break in, then, and they definitely made a mess of the place," he mused. "Are you sure it was Bakura? What else did they take?"

"Huh?" Yami glanced around the room in confusion before his cheeks reddened slightly. "Oh. I must have accidentally knocked a few things over."

The brunet quirked his eyebrow, fighting down the urge to snicker. "I see."

"I was upset!" Yami protested, folding his arms across his chest.

"Uh-huh."

"Kaiba!"

"Yes?"

"Rrrr…" Yami growled, frowning grumpily at Seto, who merely smirked and leaned over, picking up a random magazine from the floor and replacing it in the display bin.

"But the old man's card is really gone? You're sure you didn't just misplace it?" Seto asked, straightening and turning back to face the smaller teen.

Yami sighed. "I couldn't misplace it. It's locked in a case and I don't have the key." He gestured to the empty display and Seto nodded, frowning slightly. Yami sighed again and anxiously scrubbed his face with his palms. "What am I going to do, Seto? It just… vanished…"

"It's not your fault," Seto replied curtly. His eyebrows furrowing slightly, Seto stared silently at Yami for a minute until the other turned away from his gaze. "I agree with you. Those two psychos most likely stole it, if not yesterday morning then last night while you were away. The only thing to do now is hunt them down and get it back."

Yami nodded, looking up at Seto from under thick blonde bangs that had fallen in his face while he anxiously tugged at his hair. "You're right. I thought about that already; but there just isn't time. I have to run the shop, I promised Jiichan…"

Seto looked at his watch. "It's barely 7:00 A.M. The shop doesn't open until what, nine?"

"Ten."

"Even better. We still have three hours before you have to be back here; that's plenty of time. You know where they live, right?"

"Well, I _think_ they've been staying at Ryou's apartment, but I'm not sure… And I still have all this inventory to go over; I really don't know if I can…"

"Shut up and get in the car."

* * *

By this time, Seto had known Yami for a number of years. He had seen his rival furious, protective, broken and in despair; had been alongside the other as he fought proudly for the ones he loved; had seen the other laugh and seen him cry, seen the crimson eyes light up with amusement and pure joy, but he had never seen this. This was new and surprising, strange and yet somehow endearing.

Yami was, simply put, completely freaked out.

After directing him to Ryou's apartment, Yami sat stiff and rigid, his fingers clenched tightly against the upholstery in Seto's car as they drove silently through the streets. But the silence only lasted a few moments before Yami began to babble; strained, vaguely strung-together streams of thought about how Jiichan and Yugi were depending on him, and how he'd failed already after only one day of watching the store and had to get the card back because he couldn't let them down. The general rubbish, really, only this time Yami seemed far more upset; perhaps because he wasn't surrounded by his usual group of overenthusiastic friends.

No; this time there was only Seto, and as Yami poured out his long monologue, his slender fingers loosening their grip on the upholstery to trace somehow familiar patterns atop the soft leather, Seto couldn't help but feel a little closer to the wild-haired teen, as if the theft of Sugoroku's card had given them a common bond, a shared experience belonging to Yami and Seto and _only_ Yami and Seto. True, the brunet admitted to himself, he and Yami had shared plenty of life and death encounters, and it certainly wasn't as if they had never been alone together; they had spent hours together just last night.

But… there was just something about this, right now, that felt different.

Seto pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building Yami had pointed out, glancing over at his now silent companion. Yami's head hung ever-so-slightly downward, thick lashes downcast over worried crimson eyes, one hand tugging anxiously at the sleeveless black shirt he always wore even as the fingers of the other still grazed in rapid patterns across the leather upholstery.

"Well, we're here," Seto offered quietly, and Yami nodded, eyes flicking momentarily toward Seto before the two of them opened their respective doors and headed toward the entrance to the apartment building. As they walked through the smudged glass door and climbed together up the narrow staircase that led to Ryou's apartment, Seto felt a sudden warmth creep along his arm and attach itself to his elbow.

He looked down. Yami had slipped his hand into the crook of Seto's elbow, his long, slender fingers gripping Seto's arm almost tightly enough to hurt. The smaller teen's face was still turned straight ahead, eyes trained in front of him, even as he clung to Seto's arm and leaned slightly against his side while the two walked side-by-side up the narrow staircase and into the slightly grimy hallway. Seto wondered if Yami even knew that he was touching Seto; the hand on his arm felt more like an unconscious, familiar gesture, as if in his anxious state the other was unknowingly clinging to something – or someone – he trusted for comfort.

Seto broke into a wide smile.

* * *

"This is Ryou's apartment. I've only been here a couple of times, but I think I remember Yugi saying that Malik and Bakura were staying here." Yami glanced up at the tall brunet beside him, blinking a little in surprise when he saw the other's grin. "Seto?" he questioned.

Seto shook his head slightly, the smile fading. "It's nothing. Just knock on the door," he replied gruffly.

Sighing, Yami took a step forward, his hand sliding from its grip on Seto's elbow as he pounded on the door. "Bakura! Malik! Are you in there?" he called. "It's Yami; I need to talk to you!"

He took a step back, and he and Seto stared at the door for a few seconds until Yami began to wonder if the two thieves were actually there – or if they would even talk to Yami anyway. But just as he turned to mention this to Seto, he heard a rustling sound from inside the apartment and the door creaked open, and Seto and Yami met the annoyed gaze of a skinny, white-haired teen, clad only in his boxers and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"What do you want?" Bakura snapped.

Yami glared fiercely at him, opening his mouth to reply, but before he could get out the words another scantily clad teen, platinum blonde hair hanging in wild clumps over his sleepy, tanned face, walked up behind Bakura and wrapped his arms around the other's waist before burying his face in Bakura's neck. "Kuraaaa," he whined. "Why'd you get up? You said we could go again in the morning…"

"Shut up Malik!" Bakura hissed as Seto and Yami's eyes widened in shock. Yami hadn't known the two were _that_ kind of friends… "I said, what do you want?" Bakura demanded again when Yami continued to stare.

"I… I…" Yami stuttered a moment before regaining his composure and glaring at the thief once more. "You stole something from the game shop and I want it back," he demanded.

Malik lifted his face from its comfortable resting place against Bakura's neck and blinked at Yami in surprise before glancing quickly over to the left where a stack of mangas lay piled chaotically on the carpet. Bakura just narrowed his eyes. The three stayed frozen in that position, glaring daggers at each other without saying a word, until Seto finally shifted and cleared his throat. "We don't care about your stupid comics," he snapped. "Give Yami back his card!"

The two half-dressed thieves exchanged glances. "I don't know what you're talking about," Bakura finally growled.

"Jiichan's Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Yami shouted. "I don't know how you got it out of its case, but give it back right now before I mind crush you both!"

Malik and Bakura looked at each other once more before Malik stepped back and the two of them crossed their arms across their chests, giving Yami and Seto identical scowls. "I'm not afraid of you, Pharaoh," the paler one spat. "If I _had_ taken it I'd rub it in your face and laugh about it, then murder you in your sleep and carve it into your tombstone."

Malik snickered. A wicked smirk crept across his tanned cheeks and he whispered something in Bakura's ear, toying with the other's white hair as he murmured, still snickering under his breath. "I see," Bakura said flatly, still staring at the two in front of him. He nodded slightly and the corner of his lip turned up in the slightest hint of a grin – though the expression did less to comfort Yami than to worry him even further.

"Well, Pharaoh, it seems I owe you an apology."

Yami blinked. "Huh?"

At his reaction, Malik burst into fresh peals of laughter and the hint of a grin on Bakura's face widened into a full smirk. Yami started forward, frustration and fury blazing in his scarlet eyes, but Seto stopped him with a hand on his shoulder before Yami could send the two fair-haired annoyances on a permanent trip to the Shadow Realm. "Explain," the brunet ordered curtly.

Malik winked at Bakura before sighing dramatically. "Pharaoh, I admit it. I stole your card. I would give it back, but…" He grinned maliciously. "I already sold it. Still got a good price even though it was damaged, especially after a little _coercion_ on my part."

"WHAT?" Yami and Seto shouted simultaneously. The spiky-haired teen rushed forward and grabbed Malik's bare shoulders, shaking him until the Egyptian's teeth rattled. "How could you? Who did you sell it to?" he demanded. "Tell me!"

Strong arms wrapped gently around Yami's waist and tugged him backward, pulling him away from Malik. "Yami, stop it," Seto hissed, holding him tighter when the smaller teen tried to lunge at the Egyptian once more. "Who did you sell it to?" Seto asked levelly, though his cobalt eyes flashed dangerously at the two thieves.

Malik snorted, gingerly rubbing his shoulders. "I was _going_ to tell you," he muttered sulkily. "I sold it to Otogi last night. Even though it was damaged he thought he could use it as a display for his store."

"Otogi! But that was _Jiichan's_ display, he knows that! He's seen it a thousand times!" Yami cried, "Why should I believe…?"

The door slammed shut in his face.

"Go away, Pharaoh, we're tired of dealing with you," Bakura called through the door, and they heard his heavy footsteps walk away, Malik shouting nonsense in the background.

"Kura! I can't find Book 9 of Gravi! Did we take that one?"

"Who cares? That one sucks anyway," Bakura replied, the last Seto and Yami heard of his voice before they were left completely alone in the silent hallway.

* * *

"I don't know… I just don't know," Yami sighed for at least the tenth time since he and Seto had gotten in the car. "How can I trust them? Otogi wouldn't steal Jiichan's card. But then he might… he wasn't exactly friendly when we first met him. What do you think, Seto?"

But before Seto could respond, Yami was off again, rambling incessantly as he went over and over every possible situation in his mind. Was Malik lying, and he still had the card? Or maybe he was lying about taking it at all, and he and Bakura never actually took the Blue Eyes in the first place. Or, had Otogi really bought it from Malik even though he knew it rightfully belonged to Jiichan?

Yami didn't know. He was, understandably enough, more confused than he'd ever been in his life; and now more than ever unspeakably grateful for the presence of the slim brunet who sat next to him, driving silently and listening as Yami continued to sort through his jumbled thoughts aloud. "Kaiba… Seto… what should I do?" he finally sighed, slumping forward and burying his face in his hands.

"Go to work," Kaiba replied with a smirk, bringing the car to a stop. Yami looked up, frowning in confusion, until he saw that they had pulled into the game shop parking lot.

"Oh. Haha," he muttered weakly. "Well, I'll see you later, I suppose." He opened the door, beginning to climb out of the car – but Seto grabbed his arm.

"Wait. I was just kidding," the brunet reassured him, his sapphire eyes sweeping over Yami's form as the other sat beside him, his slender body twisted to face Seto though one leather-clad leg already hung out the door. Seto kept his grip on Yami's arm. "You have until Monday before the old man comes back; I'll take you to see Otogi tomorrow morning. You'll still have plenty of time to find the card even if Otogi doesn't have it."

Yami sighed. "Thanks, Kaiba. I just don't know what to do; this is such a big mess. I don't understand how it happened at all; I _know_ I was watching those two – how did they even get the card in the first place? I just have to get it back; I can't let Jiichan and Yugi dow... mmph!"

Seto kissed him.

Interrupting his sentence and taking him completely by surprise, the brunet leaned over and pressed his lips against Yami's; merely the slightest brush at first, then shifting into soft warm pressure that, though surprising, sent faint tingles of excitement and pleasure running all throughout Yami's body.

He kissed back.

Softly, hesitantly, the crimson-eyed teen leaned forward and began to respond to Seto's kiss, letting his eyes slip shut in bliss; but then the brunet pulled away, settling back in the driver's seat and letting go of Yami's arm.

"See you tonight, then."

"To…night?"

"You're coming over, right?"

"Er… yes?"

"Alright, then. I'll let you get to work." He waved briefly, little more than a two-fingered mock salute, and Yami nodded and climbed from the car, his scarlet eyes wide-open and dazed, turning back to stare once more at Seto when his feet balanced unsteadily on the sidewalk.

"Ah… Bye?"

"Goodbye." Seto reached over and pulled the car door shut, giving the other one more tiny wave before backing out of the parking lot and speeding away, Yami watching the departing car as it turned a corner and disappeared.

He didn't move for a long time after that.

* * *

A/N: Surprised? Well they _are_ hormonal teenagers after all... Well, let me know what you think; next chapter has both of their thoughts about the kiss and some more about the stars. Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 4

No.

He hadn't done that.

That had not actually happened.

There was no way that Seto Kaiba, billionaire CEO and child prodigy, had suddenly lost his mind and _kissed_ his _male_ rival, less than a day after he'd even admitted to himself that he enjoyed the other's company. Surely that momentary flash of idiocy and hormones had only been a figment of his imagination, a brief hallucination brought on by overwork and lack of sleep.

And the unfamiliar taste on his lips was definitely _not_ from Yami's mouth.

He hadn't been watching Yami's lips throughout his pointless, repetitive ramble and given in to the sudden urge to interrupt him by ramming their lips together; hadn't reveled the sweet warmth of the other's mouth as they kissed, only to be shocked back into reality when Yami unmistakably kissed back.

He couldn't have.

Could he?

At least, Seto reflected as he parked his car and wandered slightly dazedly back into the cozy living room where Mokuba still sat watching cartoons, he had pulled it off well. He had pulled away quickly and invited Yami over to the house, just as Seto had planned from the beginning, and pretended that the kiss never happened. Maybe Seto would be extremely lucky and Yami would ignore it too.

Though he doubted it.

"Seto! Good you're home, I wanted to know if I could duel you again today, I've been working on some new strategies that I think will finally… Seto? Are you okay?"

"Hn."

The brunet's only response to his brother was an affirmative grunt, as per usual whenever Mokuba would ask embarrassing or uncomfortable questions. Usually the dark-haired boy wouldn't push Seto, leaving him be until when – or if – ever Seto was ready to confide in him; but today the CEO's silent tactics didn't seem to be working. Instead of backing off, Mokuba stared curiously at his brother, his slate-gray eyes widening at the dazed expression on Seto's face.

"You're not okay. What happened with Yami?"

Seto ignored the fluttery sensation that filled his stomach at the question and merely scowled. "Why would you think something happened? I didn't do anything!"

"Well you mentioned something was wrong when you left… Didn't you go over there to help him with some – Hey wait! What do you mean you didn't do anything?" Mokuba's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Going through a very long, very foul list of curses in his mind, the brunet turned his back to his brother and began stomping up the stairs. Just great. What a wonderful way for Seto to phrase things. Mokuba had a sharp mind and was used to catching hints from his brother's sparse conversations; but it would be fine, he wouldn't figure it out… Seto just had to choose his words carefully… "Just what I said. I never touched him. Well do you want to duel or not?"

But Mokuba wasn't to be distracted. "You _never touched him_? What does that mean? Did you two get into a fight?" Mokuba raced up the stairs after his brother, stopping Seto just as he reached the top and tugging his arm so the taller teen faced him.

"No. We didn't." Seto sighed and distractedly ran a hand through his thick brown hair. "I don't want to talk about it, Mokuba."

"But Seto! Something's wrong and I want to help," Mokuba protested.

"Nothing's wrong."

"But…"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Seto snapped.

Mokuba bit his lip and released his brother's arm, tears threatening to fall as he stared at the floor, not meeting the other's gaze. "Sorry… I just thought… I just wanted to…" he broke off, swallowing heavily.

Seto immediately felt guilty. He sighed and absently ruffled Mokuba's hair, causing the other to look up at him again. "No, I'm sorry. It's… well…" Seto looked away, a lump settling in his throat before he finally began to speak, the words pouring out uncontrollably. "He was just _there_, sitting so close, and I was holding his arm… Like he held mine earlier, like he was clinging to me; like I was… was… I don't know. And he was talking, saying something about Yugi depending on him, or something; but all I could see was those lips, how full and soft they looked, and something came over me – I felt so… _warm_, all of a sudden – and I just… did it."

Mokuba's brow furrowed. "Did what?"

"Kissed him," Seto answered dully. God, he sounded like an idiot. What had happened to him today? Had he gone temporarily insane? Chasing after Yami, _kissing_ him, then rambling about it like a madman… Maybe he'd never actually woken up and this day was all just some sadistically long nightmare. If only he were that lucky.

"You… kissed Yami?" Mokuba asked blankly. He stared at his brother for a long moment, gray eyes threatening to pop out of his skull in shock, before he blinked and a wide, jaw-cracking grin spread across his face.

A distinct feeling of dread settled in the pit of Seto's stomach.

* * *

Yami sat rigid on the uncomfortable metal stool behind the counter, staring blankly ahead while his fingers absently traced star patterns atop the wood. Had that really happened? Had Kaiba really kissed him? He lightly touched his lips, which still tingled from the brief pressure of Seto's lips against his. Why would Kaiba do that? Had it only been a friendly gesture, a nice way for the CEO to silence Yami's ramblings? After all, it had only been the briefest of touches, a brush of lips barely lasting long enough to even be considered a kiss. But even that gesture was completely unlike the cold, professional Seto Kaiba; everything he did was methodically, painstakingly planned; he would never just give in to a sudden impulse to shut Yami up that way.

So did it mean something more?

Did it, could it possibly mean that Seto _liked_ Yami? Wanted something from him? Was Yami's invitation back to the Kaiba Manor this evening Seto's idea of a date?

This was all so surreal; it was happening so fast. The day before yesterday Yami had thought Kaiba hated him, or at the very least resented him, until suddenly, without any warning, the brunet was thrown back into Yami's life again – only to show that he didn't hate him at all. He was acting like Yami's friend, maybe more, and the night before under the stars had been so wonderful; just like it had been when… it almost felt like Seto was…

But he wouldn't think about that now.

No, he wouldn't think about any of it anymore. He would focus on the game shop, make sure that everything went well with it today; Saturdays were their busiest days, after all. Yami should just shove everything else from his mind for awhile and do his job, and not think about Jiichan's missing card or the gentle pressure of lips against his own, the scent of foreign aftershave wafting through the air as Seto was so close for those few, heart-stopping moments…

The bell over the door tinkled and Yami tore his hand away from his lips.

"Welcome to the Kame Game Shop, how may I help you?" he asked pleasantly as a tall, curvy blonde woman ambled through the door. "Mai! How are you?" Yami added, recognizing her after a moment. "It's been awhile since I've seen you."

"Yami." She nodded briefly in greeting before letting her eyes wander lazily around the room. "I'm fine; thought it was time to update my deck, so I decided to stop by here and pay you all a visit while I was at it. Mind if I have a look around?"

"Sure, let me know if you need anything," the crimson-eyed teen replied, settling back onto his uncomfortable stool as the blonde casually browsed through the various displays. Yami watched her absently, his mind wandering inevitably back to Seto no matter how much he tried to prevent it. What was happening between the two of them? He supposed he would find out that evening; but knowing Kaiba he'd just act as if nothing had happened. If anyone was a master of denial, it was him.

"So how's life?" The casual question snapped Yami from his reverie and he glanced, blinking a few times, to where Mai had approached and leaned against the countertop, a saucy grin on her bright red lips.

"It's fine," he answered shortly. "Finished shopping?"

"Meh, didn't see anything that appealed to me. No really, how have you been? I haven't seen you since that last tournament, what, six months ago? Ooh, that was a good one though; really thought Kaiba was going to beat you that time…"

Yami started involuntarily at the mention of Seto's name, the slight movement causing the metal stool to rattle noisily, and Mai broke off her cheerful gossip with a questioning glance. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. You were saying?" He smiled politely and the blonde raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off.

"Oh yes; that was a great tournament, almost as good as Kaiba's Battle City one – though of course it didn't have psychopathic murderers sabotaging it, so that's a plus." She laughed heartily. "You got what, a hundred grand for winning it? What'd you do with it?"

"It's in the bank, for Yugi's college fund."

"Of course." Mai nodded approvingly. "But still, didn't measure up to Battle City. That Kaiba's got style, you gotta give him that. And he's an incredible duelist; too bad he's been too busy with his company to duel as much, I like watching him. Have you seen him lately?"

"I… I, ah… Kaiba; well, that is…"

Mai stared at him. "Are you sure you're alright? You're looking awfully pale."

"I… I…"

She stared at him a moment longer as he stumbled for words, before her gaze turned sympathetic and she straightened from her sprawl against the counter, taking a few steps back. "Hmm, I think I'll get going. You don't seem like you feel well. Take care of yourself, Yami." With that she gave him a brief wave and strolled out the door, shaking her head disapprovingly the whole way. "Some people just work themselves _too_ hard…"

Yami buried his face in his hands.

* * *

"Here! This is perfect!"

"Mokuba, I am _not_ wearing that. I didn't even know I _had_ that. Actually I don't even know what that _is_."

The raven-haired boy stuck out his tongue. "Don't be stupid, Seto. This is the shirt I got you for Christmas last year. You said you liked it then…" He trailed off, sounding hurt, so Seto grabbed the shirt and tugged it over his head, mussing his hair in his haste – though the wicked smirk on Mokuba's face once he had it on made Seto frown in suspicion.

"Did you _really _buy…?"

"Now we have to fix your hair!" Mokuba cried joyfully, interrupting him. "Hmm, let's see... Not too much gel; you have to look irresistible." He shoved Seto into a chair and whipped out a comb and a brush, immediately attacking the thick brown locks, liberally spraying hairspray as he went – though he succeeded more in making Seto's hair stick out wildly all over his head than taming it.

"Mok – ow! This is stupid," Seto grumbled sourly, crossing his arms across his chest. "Why don't you go play with your video games now?"

"No! We have to get you looking nice so you can tell Yami you love him!"

"WHAT!" Seto leapt to his feet, sending the chair – and Mokuba – tumbling to the floor. "Where would you get an idea like _that_? I told you, that kiss was just a fluke. I don't know why it happened; just overwork, and I hadn't slept the night before…"

"Yeah right." Mokuba climbed to his feet, wincing and rubbing his rear. "You kiss someone because you like them. And you like Yami. You couldn't keep your eyes off that window last night."

"That's not…"

The smaller boy raised his hand, cutting off Seto's protest. "You stare at him, you spend all night talking to him, you call him the next morning and go running off like a protective boyfriend when you find out he has a problem, you _kiss_ him, and then you invite him back to your house. I'd say you like him. And that's not counting the way you acted around Yami before. I know you, Seto. Don't try to deny it."

Seto gaped. There just… There were no words. He felt numb. How could his brother be such a child one moment and completely floor him the next? Everything Mokuba had said… it couldn't be true. Could it? All Seto had managed to admit was that he liked having Yami around – and he honestly _didn't_ know where that kiss had come from. It was as if his body was moving faster than his mind could deal with.

Blinking a few times and finally composing himself, Seto said so. "It's too fast."

Mokuba smiled his knowing, sympathetic smile and laid a hand on his brother's arm. "Well, maybe you don't have to confess your undying love tonight. For now let's just make sure you look nice."

Seto rolled his eyes but let the preteen usher him back to the chair and resume his task of toying mercilessly with Seto's hair. "You're acting like a girl, you know," the brunet commented.

His brother merely smirked. "Well who else is going to make sure you get Yami horny?"

"MOKUBA!"

* * *

This was it.

Yami stepped out of the taxi, handing the driver his fee without even really looking at it, and stepped out in front of the suddenly dark and foreboding Kaiba Manor. Thankfully, since Yami had been here yesterday the guards had remembered him and allowed the taxi to drop him off in front of the door. He didn't know if he could have gone through with this if he'd had to walk the entire length of the driveway to get to the entrance.

Though being dropped off at the door didn't seem too much better, now that he was here. Yami's skin felt clammy and he shivered a little, though not from the chill of early spring, or even the slightly eerie sensation of standing alone before a silent mansion while the first stars appeared around him in the darkening sky, or from the resounding, hollow echo as he knocked three times on the blood-red door.

No, Yami's shiver was caused by something else entirely. He shivered with the anticipation of a certain moment, a moment that still came as a shock, though long expected and dreaded as much as longed for – the moment when Seto Kaiba finally opened the door and greeted him.

"So. You're here."

The less-than-enthusiastic greeting never even registered in Yami's mind. He was too caught up in staring openly at the sight of the brunet who stood before him, his cobalt eyes flashing with something that seemed like uncertainty. Yami had admitted before that Seto was handsome, but now, after that… after that morning, the thought seem to have intensified to an unbearable level and kept replaying itself over and over in his head.

Seto observed him emotionlessly, those blue eyes not even flickering as Yami's gaze trickled from his face to take in all of the other's long, slender form. Seto wore a silky gray shirt, so thin it was almost see-through, with tiny veins of darker gray running in random lines throughout the fabric, like rivulets of water along smooth skin. His boots and pants were black, as they normally were, and just tight enough to accent the sculpted muscles of the other's thighs, though Yami was sure if Seto turned around the perfectly fitted slacks would accentuate another part of his anatomy as well.

"Kaiba," Yami finally greeted stiffly, giving the other a slight nod.

The brunet nodded back at him, and as his intense blue eyes flicked appraisingly over Yami's form the smaller teen had to turn his head and look away. This was too awkward.

"So…" Yami ventured after a moment. "Was there a reason you wanted me to come over?"

Only silence answered him, so Yami flicked his gaze back to Kaiba's face, only to see a momentary flicker of surprise followed by a deep scowl settle on the other's features. "Kaiba?" he questioned.

"I _was_ doing you a favor," he snarled, the venom in his voice making Yami's eyes widen in astonishment. "Letting you indulge in your little hobby. Well, whatever. Go sit in the dirt if you want. I'll be inside."

He slammed the door in Yami's face.

"What was that about…?"

* * *

"What was _that?_ Seto, are you completely insane? What did you just _do_?"

"I should have known you were spying on me," Seto mumbled dully, not turning his eyes from the door. "Just let it be, Mokuba."

The younger boy rushed over to his brother, reaching around him to open the door again, but Seto stopped him, laying a hand heavily against the wood. "I said let it be."

"But _why_? What were you thinking? How could you say that to Yami!"

"You don't understand." Seto turned away and stalked further into the house, determined to escape the scene of his latest humiliation concerning Yami. He had been a fool to even consider that the other's presence was a good thing; all his rival had ever really done was wound Seto's pride. Like now. Seto had spent all afternoon preparing himself for the worst, and the worst was exactly what he had gotten.

Yami had greeted him with a blunt 'Kaiba' and stared at him like he was a freak before he realized he was being rude and looked away. And then he had pretended like he didn't know why Seto invited him here.

"Seto, stop!" Mokuba cried, racing after his brother. "You can't just leave him outside!"

"I certainly can. And I intend to."

"Stop being so stubborn! If you like him why are you…?"

"The question, Mokuba, is not whether I care for Yami. Regardless of whatever feelings I may or may not have, he has made it clear that he doesn't return them. So it's a moot point. I'd rather let it go and move on with my life."

"What makes you think he doesn't like you?" Mokuba asked softly. "Seto, I saw the way he looked at you."

"So did I," the brunet replied darkly. "He tried to be polite, but he couldn't help but stare at the idiot who kissed him for no reason this morning."

"Is that what you…?" Mokuba laughed for a few seconds before quickly sobering and giving the other a scrutinizing glance. "Would you just do one thing, for me? Please?"

Seto sighed. "What is it, Mokuba?"

Mokuba grinned. "It might get cold tonight…"

* * *

Seto stomped across the carefully manicured lawn, swearing under his breath. Yami hadn't been in the spot he was yesterday, though it was probably the best place on the lawn for observing the stars. When he'd seen that the other was missing, Seto almost gave up and went back inside, but something made him keep looking a few minutes longer, just in case Yami hadn't left after all.

Besides, Mokuba would kill him if Yami had stayed and Seto didn't give him that blanket.

Finally, when the brunet had almost completely circled the house, he caught sight of a slim, spiky-haired figure curled up on a slight rise of the lawn. Yami's dark clothes and slender form blended in with the night, giving Seto the feeling that Yami belonged out here, at peace in the darkness. Except he wasn't at peace. Yami wasn't stretched out, gazing wistfully at the stars the way he had been less than a day ago. Instead, his long, slender legs were drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around them and his head resting on top of them all. He stared blankly at the ground.

"Yami…?"

The other started at the sound of his name, his body jerking before he raised his head and stared emotionlessly at Seto. "Yes, Kaiba? Do you want me to go home now?" Yami rose to his feet, brushing off bits of grass that clung to the dark fabric of his pants, and allowed himself a tiny glance at the brilliant, clear sky before looking the brunet in the eye once more.

Seto stared back, searching those crimson eyes for a glimpse of… well, he wasn't even sure what; but Yami had closed himself off, his face perfectly impassive, and Seto could read nothing in the other's gaze. But… but… Yami had looked at the sky again. That meant he wanted to stay, if only to observe the stars.

And Seto wanted him to stay, too.

He shoved the fleece blanket into Yami's arms. "Here. It might get cold, later."

Yami blinked, a hesitant smile creeping over his face, and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders before settling back onto the grass. "Thank you, Seto. That was thoughtful of you."

"Hn."

They stayed in that position for a few long, silent seconds, Yami sitting on the ground, idly looking up at the stars, while Seto stood beside him, feeling increasingly more uncomfortable. He should go back inside; he'd given Yami the blanket, after all. That was all Mokuba asked for. Seto didn't have to stay out here with the person he had kissed, who had snubbed him, who he might possibly have feelings for…

"That's Leo."

"Huh?"

"Leo; the Lion. See it?" Yami raised his hand and pointed toward the south, toward a group of stars that looked vaguely like a backward question mark. "That's his head. His body goes out like this," he traced out the pattern, "and following after him is the virgin, Virgo. Back in Egypt, we watched for the Lion to come up, because when he was in the sky the Nile would flood again. Every time."

Seto plopped onto the ground beside the spiky-haired teen, who was looking at him again with a strange, wistful smile. That smile made Seto feel… well…

"Egypt again, huh. You know that's ridiculous."

The sentence, however, was said with less than his usual spitefulness, and Yami merely smiled and rolled his eyes indulgently at the taller teen, rather than getting angry as he normally did. "Sometimes," Yami continued quietly, "people said the Lion and the Virgin were one big constellation, instead of two. That's why the Sphinx has a woman's head."

"I didn't know that," Seto replied. They lapsed into silence once more.

"You can see a couple planets right now, too. There's Jupiter, in Virgo. Saturn is way off to the west."

"NASA and the ESA have a probe orbiting Saturn right now. It's so far it takes the radio signals from the probe over three hours to reach Earth."

"That's interesting, Kaiba."

Silence again.

Seto risked a glance at the other. His knees were drawn up to his chest again, one arm resting lazily atop them, the other pressed flat against the grass. The blanket pooled around his back, rumpled and forgotten. Yami's bangs hung in wisps about his face, shading the dark eyes that stared thoughtfully at the sky.

This was stupid.

Why were they talking about stars and space probes instead of what had happened that morning? Or what happened at the door just a few minutes ago? Was Yami purposefully avoiding the subject, finding it easier to tell Seto about Egypt or not say anything at all rather than mention the fact that they had kissed?

But they _had_ kissed, and Seto was tired of not talking about it and pretending not to think about it. He was tired of awkward moments and his ridiculous attempts to explain it away as a brief moment of insanity on his part. Because frankly, Seto Kaiba didn't _have_ moments of insanity. He did everything for a reason, whether to advance his goals or simply because he wanted to do it.

He had _wanted_ to kiss Yami.

And he wanted to do it again.

So, without further deliberation, Seto scooted closer to the slender figure curled up on the grass beside him, moved close enough to feel the warmth of the other's thigh against his own; and when Yami glanced up at him in surprise Seto grabbed his chin and pressed his lips against the other's, mentally triumphing when Yami's eyes slipped closed and he immediately responded to Seto's kiss.

He opened his mouth and ventured farther, pressing his tongue against soft lips that willingly parted and allowed him access to foreign warmth, to a sweet mouth quickly becoming familiar as Seto dominated their second kiss. But their lips had moved against each other for mere seconds before Yami's tongue slipped past Seto's, sliding into the brunet's mouth as he forcefully responded to Seto's actions. A moan – whether his or Yami's, Seto couldn't say – made its way to Seto's ears, and warm fingers slipped around his neck to tangle in the chestnut hair at the nape of his neck.

Seto pulled away, panting lightly, and rested his forehead atop the other's. "Yami…"

Dark eyes opened to stare at a point somewhere on Seto's chest. "Kaiba, why did you do that?"

"I… I don't know. I wanted to."

"I see."

They sat for a moment, Yami's fingers still twined in the brunet's hair, their foreheads lightly touching, before Yami muttered, "Well, that's as good a reason as any, I suppose."

And reattached his lips to Seto's.

* * *

**Pysche's Boring Notes About Astronomy**: Just to clear things up; I'm basing the sky in this story on the sky as it is right now (in the Northern Hemisphere). Right now, in the beginning of May, Leo is almost directly overhead in the southern sky, with Virgo following after it in the southeast. Jupiter can be seen in Virgo, and Saturn is low on the western horizon, in the constellation Gemini, and is visible for a few hours after sunset.

As far as Egyptian astronomy goes, I don't know a great deal - just general facts. So if the things Yami says about the Egyptian sky don't quite line up with things he might have seen (assuming he lived 3,000 years ago) please bear with me. You can pretend he learned about it later... or something.

Okay, boring part's over. Now go review!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: Argh... sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I've been kinda sick, finals are coming up, too... But anyway, here it is; a nice filler chapter where absolutely nothing happens. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 5

Yami's eyes fluttered open as he slowly drifted into awareness, aching stiffness in his limbs and a painful numbness from where he'd fallen asleep on his arm letting him know that he was unquestionably awake, though as his eyes fell on the sight in front of him Yami wondered anyway if he was still dreaming. Because asleep on the damp grass beside him lay a handsome brunet, his hair matted and strewn across his forehead in wild clumps, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm as he slumbered peacefully. One arm lay tucked beneath his cheek while the other rested atop Yami's waist, holding him close.

"Seto…?" Yami breathed. Had they fallen asleep outside?

He sat up slowly, careful not to wake the other, and looked around, blinking in the light of the rising sun. They _had_ fallen asleep outside... but at least they hadn't been cold, as Yami wryly observed. They'd fallen asleep entangled as closely together as possible, and the blanket still covered Yami's legs and most of Seto. One of them must have pulled it over them during the night.

The crimson-eyed teen let his gaze travel back to the sleeping brunet. Seto looked so incredible, like this. Peaceful; unguarded… it was… nice. He smiled softly and ran his fingers through the other's hair, attempting to smooth out the snarls before he paused and gently cupped Seto's cheek, sighing at the feel of the smooth skin under his palm.

Yami didn't know where Seto's sudden feelings for him had come from, or why the other had kissed him like that – twice now. But he had to admit that, though definitely unexpected, he was glad that it happened. Seto was strong and proud, beautiful and brilliant, attractive yet more than just someone Yami would be physically attracted to. No, Seto was someone who Yami could care for – who he _did_ care for – though this new phase of their relationship was happening so fast. But despite the fact that they'd only been together for less than a day – if they even _were_ officially together – Yami had already fallen hard for the CEO. And fallen for Seto in his own right, though he did remind him…

"Good morning."

"GAH!" Lost in his thoughts, the spiky-haired teen hadn't noticed when Seto's eyelids cracked open, revealing sapphire eyes that twinkled in amusement when Yami jerked his hand away from where it had been absently tracing patterns along Seto's skin.

Seto smirked a little, but then made a face as he sat up and stretched, the blanket sliding to the ground as the brunet slowly worked his stiff muscles. "Ahh… What are we doing out here?"

"We fell asleep, I guess," Yami muttered, shrugging. Now that Seto was awake he was beginning to feel a little awkward. How was he supposed to act around the other now? Were they a couple? Or was he reading too much into Seto's kisses? "I… I should probably go home now," he mumbled.

Seto snorted. "The only place you're going is to the shower. You smell like you've been sleeping in the dirt."

A tiny smile cracked Yami's lips. "So do you, you know."

"That's not possible, Yami. CEOs do not smell like dirt."

"Oh? What do they smell like then?"

Seto didn't answer, merely giving the other a suggestive look before he suddenly pounced. Yami squeaked in surprise as Seto launched himself at the smaller teen, pinning him to the ground while he trailed a series of kisses along Yami's neck, up to the sensitive spot just under his ear.

Yami laughed, twining his fingers in the chestnut hair as Seto continued molesting his neck. Well, that answered his question about how to behave around the CEO; at least Seto didn't act as if he wanted to go back to the way things were, before. Though maybe he had just woken up in a good mood.

Seto sat back, releasing Yami and observing him through deliciously clouded eyes. "Well, I trust I've proven my point."

Yami blinked. "What point?"

"Now let's go inside so you can get a shower." He rose gracefully, offering a hand to Yami who took it immediately, twining his fingers with Seto's.

"Oh, that. You _do_ smell like dirt, you know. Or at least grass," Yami informed Seto teasingly, craning his neck to meet the other's eyes.

"I told you that's not possible. You're mistaken, as usual."

"As usual? I'll have you know—" Yami began indignantly, but Seto interrupted him.

"Though a shower does seem appealing… Care to join me?" he asked slyly.

* * *

They stepped into the house a few minutes later, still holding hands, Seto smirking like a well-fed wolf and Yami with a distinctly red face. The brunet led them through the house, his warm, strong fingers tugging Yami along with little resistance until they reached the main staircase, where the wild-haired teen firmly planted his feet in the thick carpet.

"Wait… Seto…" Yami began. The other paused, turning back to him with an expectant expression, but Yami faltered. He wanted to say something, though he wasn't sure what, about their relationship, about _them_… or maybe just the fact that he was definitely _not_ planning on taking a shower with the CEO that morning.

Nothing came out.

"Yes?" Seto prodded after a moment.

"I don't… We're not…" Yami broke off again, biting his lip, and Seto smiled.

"I was just kidding Yami, I thought you knew that. Besides, don't you think it's a little soon for that anyway?"

The smaller teen's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, giving him the appearance of a rather large goldfish. He appreciated the sentiment; but unless Yami was very much mistaken Kaiba had just implied that they _would_ shower together (if not this morning), hence giving Yami a lot to think about – as well as some rather graphic mental images.

He flushed, wide-eyed crimson stare locking with the gaze of the other, and Seto and Yami moved together, their lips meeting once again in a chaste kiss that quickly turned heated in a wild jumble of lips and hands and warm bodies. Yami's arms locked around the brunet's neck just as Seto's tightened around his waist and pulled; and then his feet had left the floor, his legs wrapped around the taller teen's hips as they both moaned into the kiss. Seto took a step back, toward the stairs…

"Ex-_cuse_ me."

They broke apart with a gasp, heads swiveling to look at the intruder – though Yami's legs stayed firmly wrapped around the other's waist, and Seto didn't bother trying to let go of him anyway.

"Mokuba," Seto panted, giving his brother a mild glare. "Was there something you wanted?"

The raven-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "May I speak with Yami, please? In private?" He crossed his arms across his chest, tapping his foot impatiently against the carpet.

Seto and Yami exchanged glances, the smaller teen gently releasing his death-grip on the other and backing away. The slightest hint of amusement played around the brunet's lips. "By all means," Seto said grandly, the amused curve of his lips threatening to spread into a full-fledged grin as Mokuba stomped over to Yami and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the next room.

Yami shot Kaiba a glare.

Once out of earshot in the living room, Mokuba gestured for Yami to take a seat on the couch. The dark-haired boy settled himself in the armchair across from Yami and proceeded to glare at him until the older teen began to feel distinctly unsettled. "Er… What did you want to talk to me about, Mokuba? Is this about me and Seto?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

Yami blinked, a little surprised at the generally cheerful boy's sarcastic tone.

Kaiba was a bad influence on his brother.

The younger Kaiba shifted impatiently in the armchair, obviously waiting for some sort of reply, so Yami cleared his throat and began slowly, attempting to put things as delicately as possible for the other. "Mokuba… I know you may be surprised, or confused by what you just saw, but I assure you it's perfectly normal. A part of life. When two people care about each other very, very much, they choose to express those feelings… er… physically. Usually it's a man and a woman; but sometimes there are exceptions; like your brother… Seto is a very special person, and he realizes that gender shouldn't be a barrier, rather the person inside is what's important. Though the mechanics are a little… different…"

"Are you giving me a SEX talk?" Mokuba cried incredulously.

Yami winced. "It's normal to be confused, even a little curious, but you need to understand that what Seto and I were doing wasn't just for fun… though it _is_ enjoyable… but the point is, things like that shouldn't happen with some random person. There are feelings involved, a lot of feelings. You shouldn't try it just because you saw Seto--"

Mokuba burst out laughing. "You're giving me a _sex lecture_! And a _bad_ one!" He clutched at his chest, doubled over with giggles, while a frown settled on Yami's features.

"I'm sorry; I know your brother should be the one to talk to you about this. But you seemed upset… I thought you wanted to talk about Seto and me?"

"Not like _that_," Mokuba gasped through his giggles, but then just as suddenly as the fit of laughter had begun it ended, the younger boy sitting up straight in his seat, a serious expression fixed on his face once more. "Not like that. I just wanted to make a few things clear."

Hopelessly confused, all Yami could do was raise an eyebrow and motion for Mokuba to continue.

"You two seemed rather _friendly_ back there…" The raven-haired boy trailed off, fixing Yami with a steady glare.

"Er…"

"All I can say is, Yami, you better not just be messing around. You're my friend, but Seto is my brother and if you DARE hurt him I'll have no choice but to hunt you down." He uttered the threat flatly, the seriousness of his statement reflected in smoky gray eyes. "Now tell me, what exactly are your intentions with my brother?"

Yami blinked. "Er…" he repeated, for what seemed the hundredth time that morning.

"Do you care about him?" Mokuba pressed.

"Of course," Yami responded instantly, and the younger teen's features relaxed a bit. "But Mokuba, you have to realize that it's still early… I mean, Seto and I have only been… well, yesterday was the first time he's ever shown any interest in me. That's not much time to build a relationship. But I would never hurt him."

Mokuba grinned. "You'd better not. But you're wrong, you know; Seto liked you _way_ before yesterday."

"He… he did?"

"Yup. He's pretty much the master of denial, but I could tell. There were so many hints… Although, when we didn't see you for months I figured that Seto had given up and would never approach you."

"R-really? What kinds of hints?"

The grin on Mokuba's face stretched even further and he settled down in the armchair, delighted with the chance to tell a few embarrassing stories about his brother.

* * *

The smell of food wafting from the kitchen drew Mokuba and Yami from their conversation in the living room, the preteen proclaiming he was starving and the other merely following his host, knowing if he was left on his own he would never find his way out of the enormous house. As Yami followed Mokuba into the kitchen he wasn't sure what he expected to find; most likely some servant busily preparing exotic cuisine while another set the 50-person dining table with silver utensils and sparkling crystal wine glasses. Or at least a personal chef making the young Kaiba some sort of healthy breakfast.

What he definitely _didn't_ expect to see, however, was Seto Kaiba in his typical skintight black pants and black turtleneck, his hair still dripping from a recent shower, busily frying eggs and bacon in a pan on the stove.

"YAY! Seto's cooking breakfast today!" Mokuba cheered, grabbing a plate off the table and running to his brother's side, hovering impatiently beside the frying pan to wait until the first of the eggs and bacon were ready.

Yami hovered just inside the doorway, watching Seto uncertainly. He wasn't sure what to think, observing the slight turn of the chestnut head as Seto glanced at him over his shoulder, giving the spiky-haired teen a tiny smirk before he went back to cooking. Watching the CEO flip eggs with a spatula, glancing occasionally down at the excited, chattering boy beside him while he fixed breakfast for his little brother…

It was incredibly domestic. Domestic and not like the arrogant, sarcastic CEO at all, yet paradoxically _exactly_ something the fiercely independent brunet would do – taking care of himself and his little brother, on his own. But, however characteristic of Seto Kaiba or otherwise, the entire scene made the stoic CEO seem a little more… real.

And it was unbelievably endearing.

Yami wandered toward the stove to stand by Seto, watching idly as Seto raked scrambled eggs onto Mokuba's plate. "Can I help?" he asked.

Seto gave him a measuring look before nodding and pointing to the counter. "You can whip up a couple of eggs while I do this," he assented, gesturing to the bacon still sizzling in the pan. "I assume you know how," the brunet added, raising an eyebrow.

"_Yes_," Yami retorted indignantly, crossing his arms across his chest, but Seto merely grinned and went back to watching the bacon fry. With a huff, Yami moved over to the bowl on the counter and grabbed an egg from the Styrofoam container beside it, cracking the egg violently on the side of the bowl.

Bits of yolk and eggshell flew everywhere, splattering on Yami's clothes and sticking in his hair, little white chips prominent in the dark spikes and clinging to the blonde bangs framing his face. Seto and Mokuba burst out laughing. "I thought you knew what to do," Seto snorted.

Yami muttered something incomprehensible under his breath and began picking eggshell pieces from his hair.

"Do you need some help?" Seto's breath against his neck made the crimson-eyed teen start in surprise. The brunet had come up behind Yami while he was sulking, and now he pressed his lean body all along the smaller teen's back, reaching around Yami and wrapping an arm around his waist so that he held the wild-haired male in a loose, backwards sort of hug.

"Don't you have to watch the stove?" Yami asked breathlessly, his body screaming at the warmth spreading deliciously down his spine.

"It'll be fine for a few minutes. Now," Seto murmured, lowering his lips so his breath ghosted across Yami's ear and down his jaw. "Let me show you how to do this right."

The crimson-eyed teen might have been offended by Seto's words, if the other hadn't been standing so unbearably close and whispering in his ear as if they were sharing something secret. But instead, he stood frozen beneath the brunet's gentle touch, a shiver running through him as Seto's soft lips descended to plant a kiss just below his ear before he spoke again.

"The trick to making eggs is to be gentle." With the arm not wrapped around Yami's waist, Seto reached around the smaller teen and picked up one of the eggs in the container. "Don't hurry; take your time to make sure you've got everything just the way you need," he tapped the egg lightly against the side of the bowl, "to get the reaction you desire."

The eggshell broke neatly in half and a perfect, round yolk slid into the bowl.

* * *

As soon as Mokuba finished his breakfast and wandered into the living room to watch television, Yami pounced. He climbed into Seto's chair, where the other still sat eyeing Yami and pretending to eat his breakfast, and wrapped his arms and legs firmly around the other before planting a heated kiss on the other's lips. Seto didn't spare a moment before responding fervently, his tongue forcing its way through pliant lips to wrap around Yami's.

The crimson-eyed teen moaned happily and Seto broke the kiss, instead trailing a wet path along Yami's throat to the juncture of his neck and collarbone. "Eager, are we?" he mumbled against Yami's neck.

"Oh please," Yami panted, arching his back under Seto's assault. "You started it."

"You're mistaken, as usual." Seto's hands slipped under Yami's shirt, teasing and sliding tantalizingly over the soft flesh beneath. Yami bit his lip.

"You… you knew exactly what you were doing… ah… with that cooking nonsense…" the smaller teen gasped before bringing his lips down to meet Seto's once again, his fingers tangling in the other's hair.

They kissed for a few minutes without further conversation, content for the moment to merely explore each other's mouths, until Seto broke away once more, smirking as his fingers crept toward Yami's belt. "I was simply showing you what to do. You've said it yourself. Where would the King of Games be without my help?"

Yami smiled lazily, letting Seto's hands explore while his own traced slow patterns along the CEO's back. "You're right, Seto. You've helped me so much; with duels, and this weekend with… OTOGI!"

Yami scrambled off the brunet's lap, refastening his belt and hastily straightening his shirt as Seto stared, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're already starting to call out someone else's name," he commented dryly.

"No! Seto, we forgot about Otogi! We have to go get Jiichan's Blue Eyes!" Yami cried frantically, running his hands through his hair to get rid of any stray bits of eggshell.

"Right _now_?" the CEO protested, his voice rising in what sounded suspiciously like whining.

"We don't have much time," Yami answered, narrowing his eyes. "But if you don't want to help, I can always just go by myself." The scarlet eyes flashed questioningly at Seto before Yami turned around and stalked out the door.

Seto followed a moment later.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Blah I don't feel like writing one. You guys never read these things anyway.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh

* * *

Chapter 6

"Do you think he really has it, Seto?" Yami questioned breathlessly as they climbed the slightly chipped stone steps that led to Otogi's door. "I don't understand why he wouldn't be on the camping trip with Yugi and the others, unless he had business with his dice game of course…"

"Which he probably did," Seto put in sourly. He was still in a less than charitable mood after having his fun cut short – twice – that morning.

Yami sighed, rolling his eyes at the brunet, and knocked firmly on the door, his anxious demeanor slipping away to be replaced by a determined stance as the door creaked open. The crimson-eyed teen took a deep breath, ready to face off against the raven-haired dice master and demand he reveal the whereabouts of the stolen card – only for his jaw to close again with a snap.

It wasn't Otogi at the door. _Definitely_ not Otogi. Instead, a lusty blonde stood before them, clad only in a male's button-up shirt that hung to the juncture of her thigh and hipbone and revealed most of her cleavage. "Yeah? What do you want?" she muttered sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"_Mai_?" Yami gasped, and Seto let out an amused-sounding grunt.

"Looks like the dice-loser actually got some action."

"Seto!"

"Yami? What are you doing here? And Kaiba, too. You know, Yami and I were just talking about you the other day," the blonde mumbled, still sounding half-asleep. She rubbed her eyes once more and blinked at them blearily.

"You were, were you?" Seto drawled, glancing devilishly at Yami and scooting closer to the spiky-haired teen.

"Now is not the time, Kaiba," he muttered. "Mai, is Otogi here? I need to speak with him."

"Sure, why? Is something wrong?" she asked curiously.

"I'd rather speak with him alone. It's private," he answered testily.

Mai blinked in surprise at his tone and crossed her arms across her chest, eyeing him suspiciously. "Oh _really_? Then why is Kaiba here?"

Seto mimicked the gesture, arms crossed across his chest in his typical proud fashion as he glared back at her. "That's none of your business. Why don't you just go find your little boyfriend and put some clothes on?" he snapped.

The blonde recoiled, visibly affronted, her violet eyes snapping furiously at Seto. "Now listen here, Kaiba," she snarled, "Where do you get off insulting—"

"What's going on out here?" A new voice cut into Mai's vicious tirade and Otogi stepped into view, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. He was shirtless, clad only in a pair of fire-engine red boxer shorts, and his thick dark hair hung in curly wisps around his face where it had fallen loose from its typical ponytail. "Yami? Kaiba? What did you say to my girlfriend?" he asked in confusion, observing the furious scowl on her face.

"I'm sorry, Otogi, Kaiba just—"

"GIRLFRIEND?" A shocked cry came from the bottom of the stairs, and the four of them whirled in surprise. Malik and Bakura stood at the foot of the stairs, the platinum-haired Egyptian wide-eyed and frozen in shock while Bakura, cursing, tried to tug him away.

"Shut _up_ Malik!" he hissed, but when he realized the attention of the group was focused on him he gave up, standing up straight and scowling imperiously.

Malik, meanwhile, had gone teary-eyed, and he pointed a shaky finger at Otogi, who still stood with an arm draped around Mai. "You… you like _girls_?" he asked incredulously. "GIRLS?"

The raven-haired teen raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, why shouldn't I?"

"And why exactly do you _care_?" Bakura added, narrowing his eyes menacingly.

"Aren't you with Bakura?" Yami questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Bakura and Malik are together? Wait, why did he think I was gay?" Otogi asked, seeming to grow more and more confused by the second. "Did you _all _think I was gay?"

"I kinda did, at first," Mai admitted, grinning.

"Is that supposed to be a bad thing?" Yami instinctively scooted closer to Seto, making the two at the door blink in surprise and a triumphant grin to spread over Mai's face.

"I _knew _there was something going on with you two!" she crowed.

Otogi just gaped. "Wait, you two are gay too? And Mai, you thought I was gay? Why does everyone think I'm gay?"

"Would you stop saying the word 'gay'? It's getting annoying," Seto snapped. "Though it's obvious you don't have much of a vocabulary any—"

Yami elbowed him in the ribs. "Well, I wouldn't call it 'gay,' precisely," he said, shooting Seto a warning glance. "I only like Seto. We're not like those two…" He turned, glancing toward the two psychopaths, only to find them making out passionately at the foot of the stairs.

Yami blinked. Seto snorted. Otogi made a face.

Mai cheered. "Now this is my kind of morning!"

"What are they doing here anyway? Yami, I'm beginning to think they really don't have anything better to do than torment you," Seto sighed.

"Unless you count what they're doing right now," Mai put in, snickering.

"We… ah! …followed you, what do you think?" Malik answered breathlessly as he and Bakura tore apart long enough for the white-haired thief to transfer his lips to the other's neck and slide his fingers under Malik's shirt. "I wanted to see when you finally confronted Otogi about that… oh Kura… that card. You sure were at Kaiba's house a long time, though… ah! Right there!"

"Can you two do that somewhere other than my front steps?" Otogi sighed.

"Jiichan's card! Otogi, do you…"

"You were at my _house_?" Seto snarled. "How did you get past the guards?"

"Kura and I can get past anything. We just—"

"Don't you _ever_ shut up?" Bakura tore his lips away from Malik's neck, glaring menacingly into the Egyptian's deep violet eyes.

"Yes," he answered breathlessly, and proceeded to wrap his arms around the other's neck and stick his tongue down Bakura's throat.

"Ugh! How could people think I'm like _that_?" Otogi muttered crossly.

"Well _I_ think it's hot," Mai countered.

"Otogi, do you know where Jiichan's Blue Eyes…"

"They were at my _house_! I pay thousands of dollars for the most advanced security system available, not to mention a full security team on staff, watching the grounds twenty-four hours a day, and those two idiots can get past without even trying! I knew I should have designed the security system myself!" Seto's eyes narrowed to mere slits and he stomped down the stairs, wrenching the two thieves apart. "You'd better tell me _exactly_ how you got onto the grounds!"

"Seto," Yami sighed, shaking his head dismissively, and turned back to Otogi and Mai. "Anyway, the reason I'm here is because Malik said…"

"You think gay guys are hot?" the dark-haired teen asked disbelievingly. "Is that why you liked me? Because you thought I was gay? Because I'm _not_, you know. I'm _not_!"

The blonde shrugged. "The most appealing things are the things you can't have. And I know you're not gay, sweetie. At least, not _completely_…"

"Not completely! What does that mean?" Otogi shrieked.

"Sweetie, you know I love you, but you do have this… flamboyant quality. And you wear makeup."

"I do NOT! Just a little eyeliner!"

"Ryuuji Otogi, you wear more eye makeup than I do," Mai groaned. "And you spent twice as much time fixing your hair."

"So I like to look nice! Lots of straight guys do! They're called _metrosexuals_!"

"Among other things," Mai muttered dryly.

"Excuse me, Otogi, but I really need to talk to you about…"

"Why should I tell you anything, Kaiba? Now let go of me right now!" Bakura shouted, drawing their attention back to the three teens at the foot of the steps. Malik noticed Otogi's attention on him and sighed dramatically.

"It's such a shame," the Egyptian muttered, shaking his head.

"I thought you liked _Bakura_," Otogi snapped.

"I thought _you_ liked _men_," Malik retorted.

"I said let go of me Kaiba!" Bakura struggled fiercely but Seto held tight to his collar.

"Why should I?"

"It really is a shame, though," Malik continued. "That those looks should go to waste for something like _that_." He glanced briefly in Mai's direction, shaking his head.

"HEY!" Mai, Otogi, and Bakura shouted simultaneously.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mai snarled.

"You're still pining after him when you have _me_?" Bakura asked in disbelief, momentarily forgetting that Seto still held him by the collar.

"I'M NOT GAY!" Otogi shouted. The others ignored him.

Malik shrugged. "Sorry Bakura. You're very talented – and I do mean _very_ talented," he paused and Bakura smirked, "but I'm not one to pass up a good piece of eye candy when I see it."

"EYE CANDY? You… you slut!" Otogi shrieked hysterically as Mai burst into hearty laughter.

With a sudden jerk, Bakura broke away from Seto's death-grip, the white-haired thief's narrow eyes glinting menacingly. "So. The real reason you wanted to make up that story about the Pharaoh's little card was so you could spy on dice-boy. Was that it? Were you hoping for something to _happen_?"

The Egyptian just shrugged once more. "How many times do we get to annoy the Pharaoh and get some action in the meantime?"

"I'll show you action," Bakura snarled, and pounced on the other, knocking them both to the ground and pinning Malik's hands over his head while attacking his lips in a fierce, bruising kiss. The tanned blonde didn't even bother with an indignant grunt before he arched his back and let out a muffled moan, surrendering immediately to Bakura's advances.

"Made up…? Does that mean Otogi never really had the card after all?" Yami questioned softly. "I should have known." He turned back to the raven-haired teen, but Otogi was busy arguing with Mai. Again.

"What are you laughing about? Do you find it _funny_ that some homosexual psychopath thinks of your boyfriend as a sex object?"

"Yes!" Mai snorted, bursting into fresh peals of laughter.

"Mai! Stop laughing! It's not funny!" he insisted. She merely laughed harder, clutching her stomach as her body shook with helpless sniggers.

Yami sighed. "He doesn't have it, Seto. Let's just go back to the game shop… maybe I lost it there somewhere… Seto?"

"Get off him! I was asking you a question, Bakura! You'd better tell me how you got past my security, right now!"

"That does it. I'm going home," Yami muttered.

* * *

"You might as well give it up, Yami, the card's not there," Seto sighed. He leaned back on his elbows against the counter, watching the spiky-haired teen continue to dig frantically through piles of cards on display. "Just tell the old man the truth when he comes home."

The other paused and met Seto's gaze, his scarlet eyes wide and anxious. "I can't! I can't let him and Yugi down; I _promised_ them I'd take care of everything! Please, just help me look some more."

"But we've been looking for hours. It's not here. Someone _must_ have taken it; otherwise you'd have found it by now."

"Maybe…" Yami sighed, burying his face in his palms. "But I can still hope…" The smaller teen shuddered slightly, his fingers slipping from his face to run distractedly through long, spiky locks, and Seto felt a wave of compassion sweep through him. He propelled himself up from his lazy sprawl against the counter and approached Yami, laying a comforting hand atop the other's shoulder. Yami shot him a tiny, grateful smile and wrapped his arms around the taller teen, burying his face in Seto's chest.

"It's not your fault, Yami. Things like this happen; there was nothing you could do about it," the brunet murmured, his voice sounding strange in his ears. Had he actually said that? Seto knew that if it had been him, if he had lost something that important, he would never forgive himself for it. He would never be that irresponsible – a mistake like that could easily cost him his brother, his company, or his life. Yet, if by some small chance he did make such a mistake, Seto would hold himself accountable for it. He wouldn't bother with trying to make excuses.

So why was he doing it for Yami? He and the slim, crimson-eyed male in his arms were a lot alike, apparently. Yami hadn't ceased to blame himself since the moment that worthless Blue Eyes card had disappeared, and he had done everything in his power to hunt it down, to fix things, and probably would have driven himself insane with worry if Seto hadn't distracted him. Seto wasn't sure why he had felt compelled to help Yami to feel better about the situation; there was really no excuse for Yami to have let the card get stolen – the game shop didn't even have a video surveillance system; it was just _begging_ for a robbery.

But… but… Seto just couldn't bring himself to blame Yami, or even lecture him. Instead, he simply held the other in his arms, listening to the soft, rhythmic breaths against his throat and whispering soothing nonsense into dark, spiky hair. "It'll be alright, Yami. Don't worry, we'll figure it out."

"How? How, Seto? It's gone; I looked _everywhere_! And Malik and Bakura didn't take it… Otogi doesn't have it… and there aren't even any clues. I don't know what happened! I _have _to fix it but I just don't know how!"

"Calm down," Seto ordered shortly, interrupting the increasingly hysterical tirade and tightening his grip on the other. "Just relax."

Yami sighed, seeming to melt into the brunet's arms as Seto dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I don't know what to do," he mumbled.

"Shh," Seto soothed. He propped his chin atop the shorter teen's head and they stood in silence for a long moment, Yami's barely controlled pants mingled with Seto's quiet breaths the only sounds cutting into the silence. What could they do? The card obviously wasn't still in the game shop; Yami had spent the last three hours digging through every single card in the store and frantically searching every inch of the place to see if it had somehow slipped into some sort of crevice; and he had probably done the same thing before he and Seto went searching for the thieves in the first place. It just wasn't there. Plus, it wasn't like they could replace the card. The only other person in the world besides Sugoroku with a Blue Eyes White Dragon was Seto himself.

Yami sighed once again and burrowed further into Seto's chest, planting a soft kiss against the exact spot at the juncture of his neck and collarbone that sent shock waves racing along each of the brunet's nerve endings. "Thank you for helping me, Seto, even though it didn't work. It meant a lot to me," he murmured, and gave Seto another nerve-burning little kiss.

Seto's eyes fell shut and he held the other even tighter. Oh, how was it possible to feel this way? To go against everything he had ever been, all he had ever known, for this slim figure in his arms? He had changed because of Yami, _for _Yami, had worked so hard to rework his life because of his rival's haunting words across a dueling field so long ago. He had ignored his mind and given in to foolish instincts just to feel those perfect lips against his; had given up a weekend with his brother, his only family, to keep the worry from those scarlet eyes.

Would he do even more?

Yami's lips moved higher on his neck, pink tongue darting out and tracing the skin, asking for the chaste little kisses to become something more.

Of course he would.

Seto pulled away gently, cupping the other's chin in his palm and lifting Yami's face so their eyes met. "I need you to promise me something. I want you to stay here tonight, relax, and don't worry about _anything_. I mean it. I'll take care of everything, I promise."

"Seto…"

"Trust me."

"I… I don't know what you could do…"

"I'll be back first thing in the morning. Everything will be fine, you'll see." He tugged the sweet face a little closer and planted a kiss atop the other's lips before releasing him and sweeping briskly out the door, leaving the wild-haired teen blinking in confusion in his wake.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Well, it seems I've been productive this week. I wrote a oneshot and finished this chapter, too... hmm, I'm proud. But I've got a few weeks vacation til summer term, so I've had lots of free time. Better for y'all, I suppose. Anyway, this is pretty much the end of the fic; after this all that's left is the epilogue, with some more about stars and tying up any loose ends, and that'll be the end of this uneventful little story. I must say I'm surprised at how popular it's turned out - almost 150 reviews for the first six chapters, a record for me - and I'm grateful to everyone who seems to like it, though I don't know why you do. Wouldn't you rather be reading a murder mystery or something?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 7

Monday morning. It had come at last. The weekend was over and Jiichan and Yugi would come through the door in a matter of hours. Yami lay on his back in bed, staring up at the ceiling as the minutes ticked away, drawing inevitably closer to the moment when his family would return and he would have to admit his failure. Perhaps if he just kept lying here, the morning would never come and he could pretend like that weekend had never happened. But Seto would probably be there at any moment, so unfortunately he had to get up if he was planning to greet the brunet.

Seto… No, even if it meant admitting he had failed with Jiichan's request to take care of the shop, Yami would never wish none of it had happened. Being with Seto was more than he could have ever hoped for; there was just something about him…

Yami pondered this as he crawled sluggishly out of bed and proceeded with his morning routine. True, he had only been "seeing" the CEO for about two days, but he honestly cared about Seto. Really cared about him. The only question was, how did Seto feel? Yami didn't want to rush things, but for some reason it was taking all of his willpower to keep from falling hard for his – former? – rival.

A sound at the bottom of the stairs startled Yami out of his reflections and he froze in the middle of brushing his teeth, toothbrush as well as a few white flecks of toothpaste escaping from the corner of his mouth. Were Jiichan and Yugi back _already_? He hadn't had time to mentally prepare for his confession yet! The spiky-haired teen quickly spit out his toothpaste and tossed the brush to the side of the sink before he rushed downstairs, forgetting to wipe the excess bit of paste from the corner of his mouth.

"Jiichan, there's something I need to tell you," he muttered under his breath. "No… Jiichan, I'm sorry but I have to be up front with you… No, no, no! I'll just say— Seto!"

The brunet straightened from where he had been leaning over the empty display case that had once contained the Blue Eyes. "Good morning, Yami," Seto greeted, flashing the other a breathtaking smile.

"Good morning," Yami replied with a half-smile of his own. "How did you get in here? I was sure I locked the door."

Seto shrugged. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine… Kaiba, did you pick the lock!"

"Did you relax last night? I hope you weren't up all night worrying after I told you not to."

Yami rolled his eyes, deciding to let Seto keep his secrets. Besides, if he _had_ broken in to the game shop Yami wasn't sure if he really wanted to know about it. He sighed. "I tried not to think about it; I really did. But Seto, what am I going to say to them? They'll be so disappointed…"

"Hmm," Seto replied vaguely, leaning back over the display case. "Hey, what's this? There's something stuck to the outside…"

"What!" Yami's heart leapt and he rushed to Seto's side, hardly daring to breathe; and sure enough, he saw a card stuck to the underside of the case by a loose, dirty piece of tape. Carefully, Yami pried it loose and glanced at the picture on the front of the card.

The Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"It's… Seto, I can't believe it! It's the Blue Eyes!" Yami exclaimed, relief shooting through his veins like a deliciously warm drug loosed into his bloodstream. He clutched the card to his chest before throwing his arms around Seto in pure joy, peppering kisses all over the brunet's face. "You found it! I can't believe it!" he repeated. "Thank you so much! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank—"

Yami stopped. Something wasn't right. Seto was smiling; but there was something in his eyes… He glanced sharply at the brunet before turning back to examine the card more closely.

"Is something wrong?" Seto asked, his voice carefully level.

Yami didn't answer, instead staring at the card in his hands, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Seto Kaiba, you didn't," he breathed.

It wasn't the same card. The edges were a little more frayed, the color slightly washed out, showing that it had been often used, often touched, unlike the damaged card that had lain behind four walls of glass for the majority of the past few years. And this card, despite the layers of smudged, slightly dirty tape wrapped around it, was still perfectly intact. It seemed Kaiba hadn't had the heart to rip it, in the end.

Yami had to laugh at that, a tiny, quavering laugh, laced with awestruck disbelief. "Seto, did you really think I would fall for this?"

The taller teen just stared at him, something unreadable flickering in his cobalt eyes. "I knew I should have ripped the card; I just couldn't bear to do it," he mumbled, so low Yami could barely hear him.

His throat closed and unshed tears piled thickly behind wide scarlet eyes as Yami stared back at Seto. "No… you should never have given me this in the first place… I can't believe you would…" He broke off, rubbing his palm harshly across his face to hold back the sudden flood of emotion. How could Seto have done something like that, been willing to give up something that meant more to him than Yami could even imagine, just for _him_? What did that _mean_?

"Oh Seto… Oh, Seto…" The tears piled up thicker than ever and Yami threw his arms around Seto once again, burying his face in the other's chest before the liquid could escape his tightly clenched eyelids. "I can't accept this. Even if Jiichan wouldn't notice the difference, I _can't_. I couldn't bear it; it means too much to you."

The CEO returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around Yami's back and threading his fingers through the thick, spiky hair. "Not as much as you do."

Yami's heart stopped. His breath hitched and it seemed as if his blood had frozen in his veins as Seto drew him closer and lightly kissed his forehead. "I knew you wouldn't want to accept it; that's why I stuck it to the case," he said quietly. "But believe me; I want you to have it. I don't make offers I don't intend to keep and I wouldn't offer this lightly. It's the only way to replace your card, since I doubt Sugoroku would want my money."

The smaller teen pulled back just enough to look Seto in the eyes, his heart jumping again at the serious expression on the other's face. "Why are you trying to replace the card anyway? You don't have to do that."

"I already told you why." They stared at each other a moment, Yami's eyes growing wider by the second as he realized that Seto was serious about this. He was willing; no determined to do this for Yami; it was almost like… like Seto was… in love.

Yami shook his head, not letting himself dwell on the thought. "I can't. I'm sorry, Seto, but I can't accept this. Thank you for helping me; it means more than you know; but giving me your Blue Eyes isn't the answer. I would feel too guilty and you would only resent me in the end."

"I would _never_ resent you!" Seto hissed fiercely, sliding his hands so that he gripped both of Yami's shoulders and propping his forehead atop Yami's. "Never."

The smaller male let out another quavering laugh. "You resented me for years, remember? I don't know what changed your mind but I don't want to go back to—"

Seto kissed him. Hard. The brunet cupped the back of the other's spiky head in one palm while his other arm wrapped around Yami's waist, drawing the smaller form flush against him as his lips moved fiercely in an attempt to convince the wild-haired male of what his words couldn't express. And Yami melted against him, sighing in bliss when the kiss deepened and twining his arms around the other's neck to lock him firmly in place. They kissed for a long minute, everything fading into the background but the simple contact until they finally broke apart and Yami settled into Seto's chest.

The brunet stroked the other's back gently. "Let me do this for you. Please."

Yami sighed. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about? Just take the stupid card!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, Seto Kaiba."

"What does that have to do with anything? I'm trying to do something nice for you and you're being as stubborn as that stupid mutt!"

"Look who's calling who stubborn. And don't insult Jounouchi."

"Just take the card."

"No."

"Take it!"

"No!"

"Yami…"

"Kaiba."

"_Yami._"

"_Kaiba_."

"Yami!"

"Kai… Oh, Yugi! You're home!" The crimson-eyed teen had been so caught up in arguing with Seto that he didn't notice the smaller teen calling his name as he burst through the door to the game shop, red-faced and beaming excitedly.

"Yami, it's so good to see you, I had so much fun!" Yugi cried happily, running over and squeezing his taller look-alike in a tight hug. "I got sunburned, and Jiichan was eaten alive by mosquitoes, but it was so much fun! Oh, hello Kaiba," the energetic teen added as an afterthought.

"Hn."

"So, what did you do all weekend?" Yugi asked, turning back to Yami. "Was the shop busy?"

"Well, I…"

"Oh, Yami you should have seen it! It was so gorgeous out there, all the trees; and there were so many stars! I think I could see all two thousand of them," the violet-eyed teen sighed, interrupting the other before he could finish a sentence.

"Three thousand," Yami corrected automatically. Seto rolled his eyes.

Yugi, however, didn't pay attention, grinning widely and continuing with his monologue as if Yami hadn't spoken. "I shared a tent with Jou… One night he got stung by a wasp and he started screaming, convinced he'd been snake bitten. He woke up the whole camp, screaming for antivenin; the counselor came running… It was so funny."

"Sounds like something that idiot would do," Seto muttered. Yami glared at him.

"Er… Yugi; where's Jiichan?"

"Huh? Oh, he's still outside, getting the bags. He told me I could go ahead and come inside and greet you, and make sure you didn't burn the place down or anything while we were away." Yugi laughed cheerfully, Yami managing a few weak chuckles of his own. Seto just glared sourly, but since this was typical for him the violet-eyed teen didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"Don't you think you should help him carry things inside?" Yami questioned, partly as an excuse to end the uncomfortable laughter.

"Oh… Yeah, you're probably right. It is taking him a while," Yugi murmured thoughtfully; then spun on a heel and dashed out the door once more. "Be right back!"

The crimson-eyed teen watched him go, letting out a loud sigh. "They're back earlier than I thought… Oh, Seto what am I going to do? And don't say take the card."

"Take the card."

"I said don't say that!"

"Yami, why won't you let me help you? Do you have to be so proud that you can't accept assistance from people that care about you and genuinely want to help? And… Dear God. I can't believe that _I'm_ the one giving _you _this speech. You know what, never mind. I'd rather pretend that never came out of my mouth."

Yami laughed in spite of himself and reached over, twining their fingers together as Seto smirked. Only Seto could manage to cheer him up at a time like this. Though he still wasn't taking that stupid card. "I won't mention it if you won't," the smaller teen smugly reassured him, stretching to his tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on the brunet's lips, but Seto wrapped an arm around the other's back and held him there, prolonging the kiss for a few more seconds.

The door opened.

"Yami, do you think you could help Jiichan... Oh… uh…"

The ex-Pharaoh jerked away from Seto's lips, pushing the CEO a respectable distance away and wiping his mouth as he turned back to Yugi. "Yugi! It's not what it looks like!"

"It's not?" Yugi and Seto asked simultaneously, Yugi with a surprised smile and Seto with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow.

The violet-eyed teen snickered. "Looked to me like you were trying to suck Kaiba's face off."

"I was not! That was a perfectly innocent kiss, thank you!" Yami cried indignantly.

"Oh, so you admit that you were kissing Kaiba?"

"I… Well, that is… Er… Seto, tell Yugi what happened." The crimson-eyed teen glanced hopefully at the brunet.

"I apologize, Yugi. Apparently Yami can't keep his hands off me. He's telling the truth though; _that_ one was an innocent kiss. But you should have seen him yesterday when he climbed in my lap and—"

Yami clapped his hand over Seto's mouth, his scarlet eyes wide with embarrassment. "Er… never mind."

Yugi was laughing even harder by this time, clutching his stomach as he fought back the snickers. Though the teen had obviously been surprised to see Yami together, it didn't seem to upset him – on the contrary, as far as Yami could tell Yugi was greatly entertained by the situation. Though Yami would have been happier if that entertainment wasn't at his expense. "So," Yugi asked, grinning madly and wiping his eyes as he gained control of his laughter, "you and Kaiba are a couple now?"

"Well… I don't know if you'd call us…" Yami began hesitantly, but Seto – whose lips were still firmly trapped beneath Yami's palm – nodded. The crimson-eyed teen froze, breaking off in the middle of his statement to stare in awe at the brunet. "We are? Do you mean that?"

Seto nodded once more, and Yami slowly lowered his hand, a brilliant smile breaking out over his thin cheeks. "Oh, Seto…" They stared at each other a moment, silence hanging thick in the air as the hint of an answering smile dawned on Seto's lips, until Yugi cleared his throat.

"You two aren't going to start kissing again, are you?"

"Kissing? What?" A new voice, breathless and panting, gasped from the doorway. "What are you boys doing in here? Can't you help an old man carry his bags?"

Jiichan had returned.

"Oh, sorry Jiichan," Yugi responded cheerfully. "I just got distracted. Did you know Yami and Kaiba are a couple now?"

"They are? Yami, since when did you prefer men?" The old man asked the question idly, not sounding too interested as he set his bags beside the door.

"Um… since always?" the ex-Pharaoh replied in a small voice, Seto snickering rudely beside him.

"Ah. Well, come on Yugi. There are still more bags in the car; we have to take in those leaf samples. I still don't see why you had to bring home part of _every_ plant."

"It's for school, Jiichan! They want us to write a paper, and how can I do that if I don't have something to look at for my research?" the diminutive teen explained in frustration as he followed his grandfather outside once more.

"Well, you could always take pictures, you know." The door swung shut behind them.

Yami stared after them for a long moment, eventually letting out a low sigh. "Well, that went easier than I expected."

"Why, are you ashamed of me?" the CEO questioned teasingly.

"No, of course not; I just didn't expect to tell them this early, since we've only…" Yami turned to glance at the brunet, but trailed off when he realized the other was no longer standing beside him. Instead, Seto had moved over to the empty display case and set the taped-up Blue Eyes on top of it. He stared wistfully at the card for a moment before turning his back and meeting Yami's gaze as the ex-Pharaoh narrowed his eyes in frustration.

"What?"

"Seto Kaiba, you take that card back right now!" Yami ordered, crossing his arms across his chest.

"No, I think I'll leave it here, thanks."

"Kaiba! Take it back! It's not like it's going to fool anyone, anyway; it's on _top_ of the _locked_ case, for goodness' sake!"

"Well, tell the old man you opened it up so I could look at it and lost the key."

"I never had a key in the first place!"

"Well… tell him that I broke into it."

"Don't be stupid, Kaiba."

"Yami…"

"Seto!"

"Is something wrong?" Jiichan asked curiously through his breathless pants as he set yet another bag beside the door. Yugi followed directly behind him, shooting another teasing grin in Yami and Seto's direction.

"Lovers' tiff already?" the shorter teen teased.

Yami frowned, embarrassed, but took a deep breath. The opportunity had come. He had to tell Jiichan about the missing card, now, before Seto got any more adorable yet inconvenient ideas, or Jiichan noticed the empty case himself. It would be far better for Yami to be honest about everything; and it seemed that was the only option he had left. "Jiichan, I have to talk to you about something," the crimson-eyed teen said seriously.

"Oh, is this about you and Kaiba? Just ignore Yugi, he's only teasing. Do what makes you happy." The stocky old man leaned over and began rummaging through one of the sacks. "Now where's my glasses cleaner? These are all smudged… ah… there you are… So, how long have you two been together?"

Yami sighed. This conversation was _not_ going the way he wanted. When had everyone in the world stopped listening to what he said? "Just since this weekend. And… and that's not all that happened, Jiichan, I…"

"Wow Yami, we go away for three days and you pick up Kaiba. I'd hate to see what happens if we left for a week."

"Hush, Yugi, don't tease him." Jiichan finished wiping off his glasses and stuck them back on his face with a sigh, glancing briefly at Yami's flustered face before looking over to Seto, who still stood beside the empty Blue Eyes' case, until finally the old man's eyes fell on the taped-up card atop the display. "Kaiba? What happened to your Blue Eyes? Why is it taped together like that, was it damaged?"

Seto's cerulean eyes widened slightly in surprise and he looked over at Yami, who was staring at Jiichan in shock. "How did you know that was Seto's card? You barely looked at it! And… and about the card from the display… I…"

Jiichan furrowed his brow. "Well of course it's Kaiba's card. Mine – oh dear, I forgot to tell you, didn't I? I'm sorry, Yami. I put in my safe deposit box at the bank before I left, for safekeeping. You can never be too careful, you know; I'd hate to see it stolen. Well, come along Yugi; let's get these bags back to your room. I still don't know why you needed this many leaves."

"I _told_ you, Jiichan, it's for research!" The teen and his grandfather scooped up a few of the bags and disappeared upstairs, bickering good-naturedly the entire way.

Yami and Seto stared. They stared after the departing forms, then turned to stare at each other, the crimson-eyed teen stepping closer to Seto and laying a hand on his arm. "Can you believe…? It was… the entire time…" Yami let out a quavering laugh, still staring up into the brunet's shocked face. "Thank you, though. Thank you so much. It meant so much to me, you know; everything you've done… and that you don't want to hide our relationship… that's just so special… and I want you to know I'm grateful…"

The wild-haired teen bit his lip. Seto was still just looking at him, not a trace of emotion in his cobalt eyes. He seemed frozen. "Seto? Say something. Please?"

The brunet blinked. His eyes narrowed and he let out a low growl, making Yami step back in apprehension. "Seto?"

"I am going to kill him. I am going to KILL HIM!"

"Seto! No! He's just an old man! Wait! Seto!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 8: Epilogue

_A few months later_

Yami leaned back against Seto's chest, sighing contentedly when the brunet wrapped his arms around Yami and held him tightly, propping his chin atop the smaller male's spiky head. The two were seated, once again, on the grassy lawn outside the Kaiba Manor, quietly observing the summer stars. Throughout the few months they had been dating this remained one of their favorite pastimes, most likely because it held pleasant memories for them both – and kissing under the stars was always romantic, though neither of them would admit that part aloud.

The crimson-eyed ex-Pharaoh snuggled a little closer to Seto, trying to soak up a bit of his warmth. Even during the middle of summer the night held a little chill, and the other's body heat was always welcome. Yami sighed happily once more. "You know, Malik and Bakura came by the shop again today," he remarked idly.

"Hn." Seto snorted. "Those idiots. I'm still reviewing my surveillance tapes when I have the time; though I can't figure out how they got in that night. They're not even on any of the tapes."

Yami rolled his eyes and cut off his dark-haired lover before he could begin another rant about the two psychopaths sneaking onto his property. "Jiichan was watching the counter, but I was there too. When I saw them come in I trailed them so I don't think they actually stole anything, though Bakura had the gall to look offended that I didn't trust him."

Seto laughed, causing an answering smile to break out on Yami's lips at the sound. "They actually bought something, too; another one of those Gravitation mangas," the spiky-haired teen added, and the brunet shook his head dismissively.

"Figures that they would read a shounen-ai manga. But didn't they already steal them all before?"

"No, I think they were missing one. But they bought it, anyway, and _then _they started talking to Jiichan. Malik was being his usual self and coming on to everyone – he called Jiichan a "virile old man," Yami groaned. "They managed to get on his good side with that comment; he started telling Yugi he ought to bring the two of them around more along with the rest of his friends, and not 'leave out those polite young men.'"

Seto muttered something under his breath, and Yami distinctly heard the word "senile," along with a few other choice phrases. He snickered and turned around to face Seto, giving the CEO a playful poke in the chest. "He asks about you, too, sometimes. Seems to think I made a good choice with you, though I have no idea why," Yami teased.

"Why wouldn't he? I am perfect in every way," Seto replied loftily.

"Of course you are, love," Yami assented, leaning forward to give the brunet a quick kiss on the lips, but Seto stopped him with a hand to his lips. He stared at the smaller male, his deep blue eyes piercing even in the darkness.

"You've never called me that before."

The wild-haired teen furrowed his brow. "Have I not? You don't like it?" He shrugged. "I guess I'll have to think of a good pet name for you then… What would you prefer? Blue Eyes? Pumpkin? Sugar Dumplin'?" Yami grinned wickedly and moved in for another kiss, but Seto stopped him once more.

"No… I mean… You've never called me _love_ before."

"Oh… _Oh_." Yami's eyes widened as he stared at the other's unreadable expression. It grew very quiet.

"Did you mean it?" Seto finally asked after a few moments, an array of emotions whirling in his eyes, though Yami was sure he detected a tiny flicker of hope in their depths.

"Yes." Yami replied softly, lifting a slender hand to brush the chestnut bangs from the other's forehead, though they immediately fell back into place, thick hair shading the CEO's eyes once again. "I meant it."

Seto's gaze swept over the other's face, carefully taking in his expression, before a breathtaking smile stretched out across his cheeks, revealing even, white teeth. "So do I," he whispered. "Yami… so do I."

Their lips met in a sweet kiss, a soft kiss, chaste and simple yet bursting with unspoken emotion, and for a long moment they went no further than the gentle pressure of joined lips as they held each other in the moonlight, until Yami slowly pulled away, Seto's neck stretching with him as far as it would go in his reluctance to break the kiss. Yami smiled. "Seto, love," he murmured huskily, "have I ever pointed out the constellations to you?"

The brunet let out a frustrated whimper. "_Yes_. Dozens of times. Can't you forget about your little hobby for five minutes?" Seto whined. Then he paused. "Well, maybe about twenty minutes." He leaned forward to capture the other's lips in another kiss, but Yami stopped him with a hand to his lips.

"Are you sure you remember them? Maybe I should point them out one more time." The crimson-eyed teen shot the other a feral grin before pushing him onto his back, with surprisingly little resistance from Seto. His hands slid teasingly under the fabric of the brunet's shirt, lightly massaging the smooth skin underneath before tugging the garment from Seto's slim form. "I think I just might need to remind you," Yami whispered as he leaned over the other, and touched his lips to Seto's chest.

The CEO let out a hiss, his fingers tangling in the other's spiky hair as Yami's lips trailed lower, down to Seto's bellybutton – and stopped. "Jupiter is low on the horizon now," Yami breathed against the sensitive skin, causing a shiver to run through Seto's spine, and slowly, teasingly, Yami began kissing Seto's navel, his tongue swirling skillfully inside the deep indentation and his teeth nipping at the sensitive skin around it.

Seto let out a low moan and Yami paused, lifting his head to grin at the other. "Back in Egypt Jupiter was 'Horus who spans two worlds.' Fits me pretty well, don't you think?"

The brunet just stared back at him numbly.

"Hmm, you don't seem to be absorbing your lesson," Yami murmured. "I suppose I'll have to find a way to make you pay attention…" The crimson-eyed teen leaned over the other's stomach once more and teased Seto's navel with his tongue. Then he planted a series of kisses across the CEO's belly, drawing a wet line across his chest stretching from Seto's navel to his left nipple, taking the hardened pink nub in his mouth and teasing it with his tongue until Seto moaned. At the brunet's reaction Yami grinned and moved to the other nipple, sucking and swirling his tongue around it until the brunet arched his back and cried out, tangling his fingers in Yami's wild hair.

Yami sat up a bit and removed Seto's hands from his hair, placing them at the brunet's sides. "Uh-uh. Pay attention to your lesson, Seto," he chided, lowering himself back to Seto's chest and kissing his way to the other's bellybutton for a third time. "The Summer Triangle is high in the sky now. Right in the middle, you might say."

He slowly trailed his way back to Seto's right nipple, swirling his tongue once around the sensitive nub before speaking again, murmuring against his lover's chest. "Deneb. The tail of Cygnus, the swan, which stretches across the Milky Way about like this…" A smattering of soft kisses in the shape of a rough cross made their way across Seto's skin, lingering at a particularly ticklish spot at the base of the brunet's ribs until he was once again arching his back and moaning.

"Yami…"

"Sorry, we're not done learning yet, Kaiba," the smaller male replied, smirking against Seto's stomach. He moved back to the left nipple and drew it roughly into his mouth, and Seto let out a low whimper.

"Don't stop…"

"Wasn't planning on it, love." Yami kissed the nipple lightly once more. "Vega. And this is Lyra, the harp." The wild-haired teen traced out a narrow trapezoid with the tip of his finger, following with a serious of butterfly kisses that had the brunet writhing impatiently underneath him.

"Did you like that, Seto?" the crimson-eyed teen whispered huskily, lifting himself enough so that he could see the other's dazed, flushed face.

Seto nodded, unable to voice a reply.

"Good. There's still one more constellation I need to point out." Yami rose and settled himself on the brunet's hips, ignoring the hardness he felt there as he smirked down at his dark-haired lover. He leaned forward and touched his lips lightly to Seto's in a gentle kiss. "The North Star," he whispered.

Yami started to pull away but Seto stretched his neck upward and captured his lips once more in a heated kiss, forcing his tongue into Yami's mouth where the taste of the CEO still lingered. He locked an arm around the smaller male's neck, holding him in place while he thoroughly ravaged the ex-Pharaoh's mouth, until Yami moaned in bliss and melted against him, sliding his palms along the heated skin of Seto's sides and tickling that sensitive spot underneath the brunet's ribs.

Eventually they parted, panting, and Seto let his arm slide from Yami's neck to rub slow circles along the smaller male's back as he rested against Seto's chest. "I wasn't finished, Kaiba," Yami muttered.

"I'd say you weren't," the brunet retorted, shifting purposefully beneath Yami's hip. Yami merely rolled his eyes and ignored him.

"Here, just above the North Star," the crimson-eyed teen paused to brush another tiny kiss atop Seto's lips, "is another constellation, winding through the sky…" Yami punctuated his words by a trail of tiny kisses stretching along Seto's cheek and down his neck, looping twice around the pulse point of his throat to end with three wet kisses forming a triangle in the hollow of his collarbone.

"This is the dragon," Yami whispered. "And it's my favorite constellation. Do you know why, Seto?"

Seto just shook his head numbly, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as all the blood in his body rushed straight to his groin. By this time he was _very_ turned on, and Yami whispering to him in that sultry tone was doing nothing to help matters. The CEO didn't trust himself to speak without squeaking like a pubescent teen.

Yami raised himself to a seated position atop Seto's hips, his crimson gaze meeting the other's lustful blue eyes levelly. "Because of you. And not because of all that with you and Jiichan's Blue Eyes; it just reminded me of you, even before. Back in Egypt… in Egypt Thuban, the star that marks the dragon's tail, was the North Star. Draco wasn't even a constellation then. Those stars – and the Dipper stars, all the stars that go around the North Star and stay in the sky all night – were the Imperishable Ones; the gods. When I looked at them I thought about Egypt, my responsibilities to the gods… But then… then…"

Yami hesitated, taking a deep breath, and Seto's hand found its way to Yami's, twining their fingers together as a gesture of silent support. The spiky-haired teen smiled a little. "But then I ended up here, and everything was so different. The stars were almost the same, but sky had shifted… it was like the world had wobbled and never righted itself, and I didn't know how to look at it anymore."

"Actually, technically that's what happened. The Earth's axis wobbles…" Seto interrupted, but quickly shut up at the mild glare his smaller lover shot him.

"The stars were just an example. After I separated from Yugi I had to get used to living in a world completely different from the way things used to be, back in Egypt. And I _knew_ how things worked, I wasn't completely lost; but I was still looking at everything from a skewed perspective compared to everyone else. But over time it got easier, and I got more comfortable with living here, now, and that's when I started thinking about the stars again.

"I learned their new names, the new patterns, the new stories… The stars weren't images of the gods anymore; they were different, just like the sky was tilted and I was poor while my priest's reincarnation was the wealthiest man in the country." He paused briefly to wink at Seto. "So… they made different pictures, and they meant different things, but the stars were still important to me. Especially these." Reaching out with one slender finger, Yami traced lightly traced the familiar winding pattern once again on the brunet's skin, this time on the soft expanse of his stomach.

"This was the first new constellation that actually meant something to me," the spiky-haired teen murmured. "The dragon… it made me think of you and your dragons, and for the first time when I looked at the sky at night I didn't see Egypt. I saw you. And it made me feel… It made me feel…"

Yami trailed off as his gaze returned to the brunet's face, the CEO staring at him in a mix of amazement and disbelief. "Seto?" Yami questioned, biting his lip. Did Seto think he was crazy now? The other had never tried to hide his disdain for Yami's memories of Egypt…

But Seto merely shook his chestnut head, a sarcastic smirk creeping across his features. "Why did it take us so long to get together? Here I find out you've been fantasizing about me every night for who knows how long and you never even mentioned it. We could have been screwing months ago if you hadn't been so stubborn."

Yami's mouth dropped open. "Screwing! Seto Kaiba that is the _crudest_ thing I have ever heard! And it wasn't _fantasizing_, it was—"

Cutting off the other's indignant rant, Seto grabbed Yami's shoulders and flipped their bodies so that the smaller male was underneath him, Yami's legs wrapping instinctively around Seto's waist as the crimson-eyed male rolled onto his back. Seto ground his hips firmly into the other's, smirking when the action had Yami gasping in pleasure. The brunet lowered his mouth to Yami's, letting their tongues battle for a few seconds as his hand drifted to Yami's waistband before he broke the kiss.

"You certainly know a lot about the stars, don't you, Yami?" he murmured in the other's ear.

"I… Mmm…" Yami mumbled incoherently. The tables had been turned, and now the spiky-haired teen was the one unable to speak as Seto's hand slipped below his waist.

"The North Star's all well and good," the brunet continued, dropping one more tiny kiss on Yami's lips before moving to whisper huskily in the other's ear. "But I think it's time we headed south."

* * *

A/N: And we end the story with some pointless fluff and lime... Well, I hope you all enjoyed reading this story. I do have a new fic in the works that I will post... sometime soon. I don't know when. Thanks for reading! 


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